Eastleigh manager Richard Hill was left to rue two mistakes that cost them the Grimsby game.

Hill was sent-off late on as the Vanarama Conference match between two of the division’s promotion chasers became ill-tempered.

The passionate boss was clearly frustrated as two close range efforts, which he felt should have been dealt with better by the Spitfires defence and a late red card for Deon Burton and himself, left a sour taste in his mouth. Hill was seen to be discussing with referee Adrian Holmes and was subsequently sent down the tunnel.

But it remains unclear why he was dismissed.

“The fourth official told me to come here and speak to him,” said Hill.

“I just told him ‘I don’t want to speak to you’. So he’s got the referee to send me off.

“I’ve just been guilty of not wanting to do something.

“I thought it was my prerogative if I didn’t want to speak to someone.

“But what do you know? I’ve not caused any trouble; I’ve not said anything out of turn. “I’ve not sworn either.

“I’m sure there will be something in the report where I’ve come out with lots of Fs and lots of everything else.

“But there are more important things.

“We’ve got seven more games to go which is far more important than Richard Hill being sent to the stand.”

Hill analysed the afternoon that saw his sixth place side defeated for the first time on their travels in 2015.

“It was frustrating in respect that overall we didn’t warrant that defeat,” he said.

“When we played Grimsby at home we saw a very good side, they played very well that day and a lot of people were saying that ‘Grimsby are the best team in the league’.

“I really didn’t think they were two goals better than us today.

“I felt that up until the first goal we were probably the better team.

“I’ve then gone bold and brave to try and get us back into the game with three substitutes.

“But for us it was a game of two mistakes.

“Now by saying that I’m probably singling out Ross (Flitney) and I don’t want to single out Ross because he has won us games this season.

“It was two mistakes as a team.

“At this level of football you can’t make mistakes and expect to win.”

After Ollie Palmer had opened the scoring and Lenell John-Lewis gave the Mariners a second goal, veteran striker Burton saw straight red before Hill himself was told to leave his technical area by the referee.

“From what I’ve seen, their defender has punched him straight in the face,” Hill said about Burton’s dismissal.

“It should have a penalty, shouldn’t it?

“I thought it was a strange decision to send Deon off and only booked their fella.

“It’s either two reds or two yellows.”