It would have been easy to shy away from sight after a horrendous opening day for Potters Bar Town - but manager Max Mitchell was prepared to face the music.

The Scholars were humbled 8-0 by Dover Athletic on the opening day of the Isthmian League Premier Division season.

It was technically a home game too but because of the laying of a new artificial surface at their Parkside home, Bar are playing games at Gaywood Park, home of Kings Langley.

Mitchell though was not putting the blame on the surroundings.

He said: "Firstly a huge apology to everybody who travelled down on behalf of us as management team and the playing group.

"It was a performance that needs an apology and has left me a little shell shocked in all honesty.

"To go from a team who competed last week against St Albans City, and put in the work and performance that they did, to a performance [against Dover] was two completely different sides.

"We have to look at it and we'll come out of the emotion and analyse it.

"We have to move forward. We have no opportunity to do anything else.

"In terms of the game, I felt we were good for the first 15 minutes, probably the only spell of the game where we caused them some issues, especially down their left-hand side.

"But as soon as they got the first goal, we started to deteriorate.

"Out of possession we were poor and we could talk all day about the rest of it, but we want to make sure we put it behind us quickly.

"I have to address it as manager of this football club, I won't hide from it for sure, but we have to move forward.

"We have a game against Dartford on Tuesday night and we will assess the damage [from here] and make sure we prepped to go again."