PAUL Sadler insists Little Oakley will not press the panic button after their shock opening-day home defeat against Alresford Colne Rangers.

But the Acorns’ joint manager admits their 4-2 loss in the Essex and Suffolk Border League curtain-raiser might act as a “wake-up call”.

Little Oakley are hoping to challenge for the premier division title this season but were well beaten, last weekend.

And Sadler says they must recover quickly from the early-season setback and get back on track in their next game against Lawford Lads, on Saturday week.

Sadler said: “We arrived thinking that we just had to turn up and it was a harsh lesson for us.

“Throughout the course of the season, most sides suffer from a bit of complacency and I think we suffered from ours on the first day.

“It was a wake-up call for many of our players, with the exception of one or two.

“We had a very constructive discussion after the game and the management have to take responsibility, as well as the players.

“It’s up to us as a group to respond on Saturday week.”

Little Oakley do not have a game this weekend – and Sadler admits that brings its advantages and disadvantages.

He said: “We won’t make any rash decisions – we’ve got time to think about things and see how the players perform in training sessions.

“We won’t hit the panic button but we’ll sit down and look at our tactics and the personnel we have available.”