MARK Tonkinson says he does not know what his Ludlow Town Colts side have to do to win a penalty in the Herefordshire Premier this season.

Colts were denied what they felt was a stonewall penalty for the third match in a row in Saturday’s 1-1 home draw with Ledbury Town.

Despite that joint boss Tonkinson is pleased with his promoted side’s start to the season after seeing them pick up four points from four games.

But he feels that tally could and should have been more if those spot-kicks – all involving tricky playmaker Jack Gittoes – had been given.

Tonkinson said: “It’s not been a bad start for us – we lost 2-1 the week before and could easily have won 2-1 – so the fine margins are going against us at the minute but we are not far away.

“I’m very pleased with how the first month has gone but every game we seem to have a penalty decision that never gets given.

“Hopefully we will have that bit of luck sometime – and hopefully it comes sooner rather than later.”

Gittoes put Colts ahead inside six minutes with his third goal in as many games but they were denied the chance to double that lead before half-time when his penalty appeal went unheeded.

In between, a fine save from Regan Tonkinson, pushing a Ledbury shot on to the post, had kept the hosts ahead but the new sin-bin rule would prove costly for Ludlow.

The new regulation – whereby players spend ten minutes in the sin bin for dissent – saw Andrew Pugh temporarily sidelined and Ledbury equalised while Ludlow were down to ten men.

The joint-boss, whose side host Albrighton in the Shropshire Challenge Cup this Saturday, added: “It could have gone either way and a draw was the right result.

“Ledbury had beaten (champions) Clee Hill a couple of weeks ago and I knew it was going to be a tough game and if we had been given a point before the game I would have been happy.”

Elsewhere, Josh Carpenter hit a hat-trick and Craig Breakwell and Ollie Smith also netted as Clee Hill United thrashed Fownhope 5-0.

United top the table on goal difference from two sides, including Hereford Pegasus Reserves, who they visit this Saturday.

Boss Wayne Whitbread admitted: “It will be a tough test and we have a few players missing which isn’t going to help us as they have won three out of three.”

Woofferton’s season began in defeat as they exited the Herefordshire Junior Cup at the first hurdle with a 1-0 home defeat to St John’s Howle Hill.