Being 3-0 and 4-1 down in any game is tough to take - and that is the position we found ourselves in against Hythe Town on Saturday.

The mentally weak teams and individuals will roll over at that point, especially in a friendly when there are no points being played for.

It takes a unique type of individual to dust themselves down and try to get back into the game under such circumstances.

So, despite all the disappointment surrounding the goals we have conceded, I can’t help but take the positives from the result – and it makes us good value for money for the paying public!

In spite of the four goals conceded our goalkeeper, Callum Chafer, put in a tremendous performance.

The hard work he is doing with our goalkeeper coach Wayne Franklin is paying off, which is great to see.

At just 20-years-old, this young man has a very bright future in the game.

There were some mitigating circumstances, I suppose.

We lost our talisman Lewis Manor very late in the warm-up so a great deal of our pre-match preparation was affected.

We will now be without Lewis for the first couple of weeks of the season, which is a bitter blow for a squad of our size.

The first league game at Aveley is now within touching distance.

So much focus goes into the first game of the season but it is just one game of 46.

It’s great to be taking part in such a big game, the first at their new Parkside stadium, but it is Aveley’s day and not ours.

Regardless of the result, the people that have poured their heart and soul into that project can reflect on Saturday evening with a great deal of pride.

It’s a tough start for us. Terry (Spillane) is one of the more experienced managers in the league, he is a great motivator and his side will come flying out of the blocks on Saturday.

We are going to need to play very well to get a result.