Oxford City Stars coach Darryl Morvan was far from downhearted following the 4-1 defeat at Invicta in the English National League Southern Division play-offs.
He said: "I am sure there were many people who would have expected us to struggle tremendously against the league winners.
"However, I would suggest the 4-1 scoreline actually flatters Invicta, and the fact that their netminder, Joe Dollin, was named as their man of the match, speaks volumes.
"There were protracted periods of time when we dominated the play, pinning Invicta in their own end, while not allowing them any clear chances at offence.
"The fact that they called a time out early in the third period, when their much-vaunted first line had been pinned in their own end by a 'kid line' of Jacob Smith, Patrick Knightley and Joe Oliver, emphasised the difficulty they had dealing with our mobile forwards.
"This performance provides a strong foundation for next week, and sends a clear message that even when understrength, we are not to be underestimated."
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