FAIRFORD TOWN boss Jody Bevan has backed a national sin bin trial.

The 10-minute dismissals are being issued this season by referees as a sanction only for dissent and indicated by the official showing the guilty player a yellow card and pointing to the touchline.

Bevan saw the first 10-minute dismissal administered during his side’s 3-1 Hellenic Premier Division victory at Lydney Town on Tuesday night when the Foresters lost Lewis Thompson. 

When I first heard about it, I was sceptical, but having listened to the FA presentation and reasoning I understood why they are doing it and I'm all for it.

“I just think it is vital that coaches and referees communicate well before and during the game. Our disciplinary record was not good last season, so I've made a big point of looking to rectify that during pre-season and I'm hoping the sin bin rule will help us with that.”

Sin bins were first piloted during the 2017-18 season, and extended to a total of 31 leagues in the 2018-19 campaign.

It has been implemented up to step five of the National League System and tier three and below in women's football.

Bevan is preparing for the unknown as his side kick off their FA Cup quest tomorrow with an extra-preliminary qualifying round against Enfield 1893.

Bevan admits to knowing very little about his side’s Essex Senior League opponents ahead of welcoming their step-nine peers to Cinder Lane for what the Fairford manager hopes will be a lengthy run in this year’s FA Cup.

Fairford have started their Hellenic League Premier Division campaign with two wins from two, while Enfield were beaten heavily on the opening day last Saturday before notching their first victory of the campaign against Stansted on Wednesday.

Bevan hopes Town’s imperious start in the league will help them navigate a tricky opening tie and beyond as they aim to go deep into the qualifying rounds of the world’s oldest cup competition.

He said: “Every non-league club, certainly at our level, desperately hopes for a bit of a run in the FA Cup.

“If you can win, then you get a bit of prize money and we’re no different.

“We go into the game full of confidence, but we really don’t know what to expect from Enfield. They’re not a team that we know a huge amount about.

“I know they lost quite heavily at the weekend and they won in midweek, so we’re going to try and get some reports on them.

“But really, confidence is high in our camp and we’ll go into the game just trying to carry on doing all the good things we’ve been doing so far this season.”