They say results don't matter in pre-season - which is just as well if you are a Welwyn Garden City fan.
Manager Marc Weatherstone could point at mitigating factors in the 7-1 loss at home to Chesham United.
The Generals are expected to go even better than last season when they lost in the play-off semi-final of the Southern League Premier Division South.
Their summer business has been impressive and the quality was clear for all to see at the Pexhurst Stadium, the new name of the Citizens' Herns Lane home.
Welwyn could also point to the number of trialists in the squad, eight in total of the 20 used.
However, the boss was naturally struggling to see all of the positives at the end of the contest.
Weatherstone said: "It was disappointing to lose by that many but the point of the exercise in pre-season is to try out players and new methods and we learned a lot, despite the scoreline."
Welwyn did make a game of it for a good 35 minutes though.
Featuring nine of the players already signed on for next season,Chesham took a 10th minute lead with a low drive into the bottom corner of keeper Charlie Crowley’s net.
But the Citizens responded with Bailey Stevenson opting to pass to strike partner Dernell Wynter, rather than shoot with WGC’s best opening of the first 20 minutes.
Stevenson then came within an ace of an equaliser when Zak Brown’s fine cross was cleared out to him.
He struck a fine effort falling backwards and a Chesham defender headed the shot off the line with the keeper beaten.
Moments later a trialist cut in from the wing and hit a low effort that brought a save from the Chesham keeper but in the next move, a fine solo goal from Chesham doubled their lead.
It was harsh that WGC had to turn around three down, when a Chesham forward seem to get away with a suspicion of handball in beating Yasin Boodhoo, before netting again on the stroke of half-time.
In the second-half, Weatherstone fielded six trialists in his line-up and it showed.
WGC conceded the first of two penalties in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, the first converted after just two minutes and in between was another fine solo goal as Chesham stretched the lead to six.
The best WGC moment saw Ethan Kessel and Stevenson combine down the right for Dernell Wynter to score a cheeky back-heel into the far corner for a home consolation.
But the visitors added a seventh before full-time concluded the scoring for the afternoon with a seventh.
Welwyn now have three away games, starting at Wingate & Finchley tomorrow (Tuesday) before a trip to Northwood for another friendly on Saturday.
Sandwiched in between them is their first competitive fixture, away to Colney Heath in the Herts Charity Shield on Thursday.
That kicks-off at 7.45pm.
WGC (first half): Crowley, Brown, Boodhoo, Steele, Steel, Mulley, Kaloczi, Stevenson, Wynter, trialist x2.
WGC (second half): Doherty, Vasey, Kessel, Stevenson, Wynter, trialist x6.
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