Harpenden Town assistant manager Andy Sissons says they need to sharpen up on the mental side of the game if they are to avoid any more defeats like the 2-1 reverse handed to them by Leverstock Green at Rothamsted Park.

Harps had taken the lead after nine minutes thanks to a lovely goal, finished off in style by Mo Koita after a neat one-two with Bobby Dance.

But despite plenty of possession and getting into good positions, that was their only goal in the first half and Levy made them pay after the break, first equalising through Frank Jowle on 70 minutes and then clinching the three points with a John Smith free-kick seven minutes later.

Sissons said: "We switched off, the work rate was poor and it wasn't good enough on and off the ball.

"Whether it was them working harder than us and getting into the game I don't know but fair play to them. They put it in.

"I can't say the same about us.

"Once we went a goal up we relaxed and from then we couldn't get back in the game.

"It wasn't a great result at all."

This was Town's fourth defeat of the year, matching the four wins they have achieved in the nine Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division games so far.

And for long periods, especially in the first half they looked capable of opening up their visitors at will.

Oddly though their better chances came in the second period, Joel Nkeita having the best of them with an unmarked header from a deep free-kick.

But the collapse led to a locked dressing room door and strong words from the management team who want to see a reaction from their side when they host Broadfields United in the Dudley Latham Memorial Cup on Tuesday.

"We need to get them back in and they need to get the attitudes better," said Sissons. "They need to turn up and realise that teams are going to turn up with a serious head and want to turn us over.

"We need to clue into that.

"But it is early days for Martin and I. It's going to take a little while to get us where we want to.

"Our performances have been good and our quality on the ball has been good in pervious games but the attitudes weren't there today and that's what's hardest to swallow.

"It's what we need to put right and that starts on Tuesday against Broadfields."