WAYNE Hughes said his side’s “disappointment” at losing to top of the table Saltash United is a sign of how things have changed at Falmouth Town recently.

The Ambers fell to a 3-1 defeat at Kimberley Stadium in Saturday’s South West Peninsula League Premier clash with a first half goal from Jon Hoyles being added to by Ashley O’Rourke and Joe Carey after the break.

Ed Timmons scored direct from a free kick for the visitors, but it was a match where Town were left rueing missed chances.

Their manager said he was angry at the loss, but believes it is not such a bad thing.

Hughes said: “We have been hammering home to the players to keep the concentration up in the first ten minutes of the game and again in the first five minutes of the second half, but we gave away goals in both these periods.

“The other difference was we had three or four good chances but only got one of them on target while Saltash had three opportunities and scored them all.

“We need to get more streetwise and we were all disappointed afterwards, but it shows the improvements we have been making lately.

“I’m sure earlier in the season we would have taken a 3-1 loss at the league leaders, but to come away from a game like that knowing we could’ve done better is actually quite encouraging.”

It took just eight minutes for the home side to get off the mark as Steve Sargison passed the ball to Richard Maddison on the left for the winger to send a cross into the box.

Waiting at the back post was Hoyles who finished the move off and give United the lead.

During the rest of a scrappy half of football, chances came at a premium but life picked up after the break with the home team making it 3-0 by the time 60 minutes had elapsed.

O’Rourke bagged his side’s second goal when he got on the end of a long ball over the top of Town’s defence before showing great composure to send his shot under goalkeeper Jason Peters.

The visitors’ game was up ten minutes later when Sargison set up Carey at the far post with a great cross and his team-mate made no mistake in front of goal.

Town did not capitulate despite the flow of the game going against them and with 19 minutes to go, Timmons curled home a free kick.

More chances fell for the visitors before the final whistle with the best coming Ross Pope’s way as the midfielder forced United’s goalkeeper Tom Blackler to make a good save.

Another away match is up next for Falmouth as they head to Camelford, who sit two places below them in the table, on Saturday, which Hughes described as a must win.

“It is a game against a team near us in the table, so we cannot afford to lose,” he said.

“We might change a few things in our formation and with how we prepare for the game, but we are all confident we can get a good result.”

FALMOUTH: Peters, Hurst, Whipp, Cooper (c), Webb, Appleton (Killen 60), Bromley, Wearne, Timmons, Trevaskis (Pope 60), Squires.