Injured skipper Harry Sharman chose to take the positives after seeing his Spalding RFC side demolished 77-8 by Midlands One East heavyweights Derby.
Town only had a Tim Waltham try and Dan Mackie’s early penalty to shout about during Saturday’s Memorial Field clash, which put a damepner on the club’s well-supported President’s Day.
Sharman, who still faces around three weeks out after having his broken nose straightened last week, said: “It was always going to be difficult for us – but it was very hard for me to watch.
“We had players missing against a very strong city side, so it’s hard to be too critical. I do think the scoreline flattered them a little.
“Our performance obviously wasn’t up to scratch, but it’s hard to fault the lads for the effort they put in. We couldn’t ask for any more from them on that front.”
Bottom of the table and pointless after three games, Town badly need to get their season going.
They are eyeing up a positive result against fellow strugglers Huntingdon and District at the Memorial Field this Saturday (3pm), with vice captain Ryan Chappell and Jimmy Rowlands both returning.
Sharman added: “There are no easy games in this league. But if you look at the table, we have to look to be doing well in this one. We need to get going sooner or later.
“It’s a new fixture for us. They’ve come up from the west side of the Midlands pyramid and we don’t know too much about them really.”
Town: Duerden, Waudby, Cooke, Ioannou, Piccaver, Waltham, Finch, H Brown, Williams, Mackie, Hoyles, G Brown, Shields, Lake, Broome. Also used: Haighton, Lal.
