Presteigne St Andrews FC slipped to a 2-0 Boxing Day defeat against their old rivals Knighton Town when the sides met at Bryn-y-Castell.
But those Presteigne fans fearing the worst in a game at the Spar Mid Wales League second division leaders could at least take some solace from the fact Trevor Gummer’s side was competitive throughout, especially in the first half.
Knighton took the lead after about 20 minutes, but Presteigne created a number of good chances and came close when Callum Matthews’ effort came back off the inside of a post.
But the home team made the game safe midway through the second period when they netted their second.
Trevor Gummer felt his side had acquitted itself well in this game but once again had paid the price for squandering clear cut chances.
He was of the view that if one of those first-half chances had gone in, then things could have been very different.
Presteigne will have the chance to redress the balance on Saturday, 31 December when the sides will meet at Llanandras Park for the return fixture.