Aldershot Town manager Scott Davies was happy with his side’s efforts after they started pre-season with a 2-0 win at Badshot Lea.

“I thought there were some really good things and some frustrating things,” said Davies.

“Overall, it was a really good day. I thought the game was played in really good spirits.

“We had a lot of the ball trying to break down a low block. It's so difficult to break down and credit to Badshot Lea for doing that – I thought they defended their box superbly.

“It's not something we've worked on breaking down in the first week of pre-season with a new group. We were looking at our off the ball stuff more than anything.

“I thought our off the ball stuff was very good in terms of our intensity and in winning it back.

“There were some good bits and some bits where I was pulling my hair out.

“I've got to remember it's the first game of pre-season. Maybe I'm being a little bit greedy.”

Davies was delighted with the welcome and hospitality the Shots received from Badshot Lea for their traditional pre-season opener.

“I was chatting to a few of the Badshot Lea guys when I walked in,” said Davies.

“I love these types of games. I was brought up in non-league watching my dad.

“I've been to probably every non-league ground from Step 1 to Step 5. For me, it's the beauty of football that you can come to places like this in pre-season.

“I'm sure Badshot Lea will probably earn more from this game than they will from any other this year. It's important.

“I asked the lads to be really professional, have no ego, and play the game in the right spirits.

“I thought they were really professional. I told them to treat the game with the utmost respect, and I thought they did.

“I've got an idea of what my team will look like, but pre-season is a blank canvas and a clean slate for everyone.

“If people play well over the next six weeks they're going to force their way into the team.

”For us, it's about being inventive and being creative in terms of the players we've got and seeing what works best for us.

“We've got some incredible wide players. I think we'll see more in terms of end product and quality. The off the ball stuff was superb.”