It was just day one of a year-long learning curve but Jon Clements says Colney Heath have proven they belong in the rarefied air of the Southern League despite an opening day defeat to AFC Dunstable.

The Magpies fell to a 2-0 loss at Creasey Park with first-half goals from BJ Christie and Kwon Hepburn but they dominated the second period and were unlucky not to come away with something.

And the striker, back at the club after a year at Walthamstow, knows they will soon be on the winning trail.

He said: "We showed them too much respect in the first half and sat in too much. We’re the new boys in the league and these are experienced at this level, and will be probably be up there this year.

"We gave away cheap goals too, being hit on the counter-attack for the second, it’s sore to concede goals like that.

"But it’s part of a learning process and the whole season will be a learning process.

"We did ourselves a lot more justice in the second half but we’ll learn from it, it’s only the first game of the season.

"We’re a young side, a lot of whom haven’t played at this level before, and we were missing a few key lads, but we’ve got a big squad and we’re all in it together.

"We know what our ambition is this year and we have that never-say-die spirit in the club.

"We’re not going to get too low because of it and hopefully when we go and get a win on Tuesday [at home to Waltham Abbey], we’ll not get too high.

"We need to keep that mentality through the season."

The second period saw most of the play head towards the Dunstable goal but try as they might, the Magpies could not find a way through.

"We were unlucky down the stretch," said Clements, skipper for the day in Jack Woods' absence. "There was a bit of pinball in the box and they got one off the line but fair play to them, they played well and defended well. They are an experienced side.

"It wasn’t meant to be but hopefully on Tuesday, we’ll turn it around and get our first win."