HIGHWORTH Town boss Jeff Roberts admitted pre-match concerns about being on the wrong end of a drubbing possibly impacted his tactics in the first half of the 1-0 defeat to Frome Town on Saturday.

The Worthians kicked off their second season at Southern League-level with a narrow defeat to one of the relegated sides, but Roberts felt in hindsight that his team might have snatched a point on another day.

Frome scored in the 20th minute through a well-worked passing move, and went on to dominate much of the first half.

But with a change of tactic sent into operation after the break, the Worthians had chances to equalise, yet they were unable to take them and Roberts’ side started their league campaign with a defeat.

The Highworth manager felt their guests were the better side on the day, but reflected on certain aspects of his game plan that would have been changed earlier if Roberts had his time again.

He said: “Overall, I think Frome were the better side on the day.

“Even though they were coming down from the Southern Prem, I always felt we could give them a game, but I don’t think we squeezed them high enough.

“I was a little worried about Frome coming to us and, by half-time, being three or four goals up, so that’s probably why we sat back in the first half, but they were a good side and the goal they scored was just too quick for us.

“We weren’t switched on – it was three or four passes and the ball was in the back of our net.

“That’s what happens when you’re not switched on at this level of football.”

Roberts insisted it was not all doom and gloom though, as many of his players had good games and chances to snatch a point, and the Highworth boss felt his side could take many positives from a narrow loss against one of the favourites for promotion.

He said: “Connor Johns had a very good game yesterday, he pulled off some very good saves, but we could potentially have had a few goals ourselves.

“We had our opportunities, but Frome are a very good side, although it was a better second half from us.”