It may have been a loss but Micky Nathan was still a happy and proud man after Harpenden Town went down 1-0 to Colney Heath.

The interim head coach, who has been given the reins at Rothamsted Park until the end of the season following Martin Standen's switch to Bedford Town, saw his create plenty of chances but fail to take any of them, meaning Brett O'Connor's 55th-minute strike proved to be the match winner.

But there were plenty of positives on show from the visitors to the Recreation Ground and that was keeping the former Colney Heath boss happy.

Nathan said: "It's fine margins. It's one of them where we've dominated it possession wise and played some really good football, that's two games on the bounce now.

"Saturday was on a horrible pitch but we got a 1-0 win [away at Aylesbury Vale Dynamos] but come here on a much better pitch and played well but didn't get the result.

"The cross has come over and our two defenders have collided and it's fell to Brett who has a sweet left foot on him.

"But it's so pleasing. I told them afterwards that we have got so many positives to take from the game.

"We can hold our heads high. We've played them twice in a month and lost 1-0 both times and played well against the league leaders both times.

"I'm not despondent, I'm proud of every single one of them and I know if we keep the group together, then we'll pick up points."

The result leaves Harpenden fourth in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division but Nathan says the majority of the squad who have lifted them to that lofty position are staying, like him, for the rest of the season.

And he sees no reason why they cannot push on to bigger and better things.

"We're fourth but have got two games in hand over Biggleswade United," he said. "Teams will drop points in this league and we've just got to make sure we keep doing what we're doing, keep the team together as a cohesive unit and we'll be there or thereabouts.

"The lads are all in it together and they all want to fight and push as high as they can this season.

"And then we'll start again fresh next season and see what the craic is."