Tony Gold, the London Lions manager, is refusing to hit the panic button after his team started 2011 in disastrous fashion, going down 5-0 against Hoddesdon Town on Tuesday.

Gold's men started the match in sixth place in the South Midlands League Division One but they were left to rue a string of missed chances - and an inspired performance by home keeper Tom Bullock - against a Hoddesdon team playing its first competitive game since November 27.

The Lions looked menacing early on with Dan Stanton and top-scorer James Gershfield putting the hosts on the back foot but they were unable to turn their pressure into goals. A goal up at the break, Hoddesdon picked the Lions off on the counter-attack to record an emphatic victory courtesy of two wonder strikes from Sammy Vandepeer, two more from substitute Dean Barker and an own goal.

Gold said: "We had 15 chances on goal and didn't take them. They had six chances and scored five. That's the difference."

At the start of the season, Gold said that consolidation was the aim for the Lions in their first season in the South Midlands League. He insists that "nothing has changed". The Lions take on South Midlands League Division One leaders King's Langley in the quarter-final of the Herts Centenary Cup tomorrow and Gold believes that they have nothing to fear.

Victory in the cup would help kickstart our season

"They are flying but it might be the game we need to kick-start our season. We've got 18 games left in the league and a mid-table finish is realistic. Victory would be a good start."

Lions: Berliner, Barnes, Morris, Myeroff, Gold (sub: Cash), Soutar, Stanton, Keterman, Bern, Gershfield, Glynne (sub: Stanley)