AVELEY boss Terry Spillane was disappointed to see his side lose in their first competitive fixture at the Millers’ new Parkside home.

A second half strike from teenage winger Jordan Peart was not enough as Bowers & Pitsea secured a 3-1 win to consign the Millers to an Isthmian North opening day defeat.

And Spillane believes that his side need to make Parkside a ‘fortress’ if they are to have a successful season.

The Aveley boss said: “I don’t like losing any game, but the match against Bowers was a big game for the club.

“I’m disappointed with the way we played. It wasn’t the way we have told them to play or how we have been performing in pre-season.

“We need to win our home games and make Parkside a fortress.

“If we do that and nick some points away from home then we will be there or thereabouts.

“We have had quite a few new players come in to the club and we know it will take time for them to gel.

“We also know it is going to take time to settle in at Parkside because it is all new to us.”

A quiet first half saw neither side take control of the game, but Bowers went in front 10 minutes after the break.

Bowers winger James Thomas’ impressive cross into the penalty area found striker Fahad Nyanja, who headed home to give the visitors the advantage.

And Bowers doubled their lead 10 minutes later, as Lewis Manor found the corner of the net with a powerful header.

But just four minutes after going two goals down, the Millers halved the deficit as new Aveley captain Jack Barry’s pull-back found Peart, who smashed the ball past Bowers goalkeeper Callum Chafer.

However, Manor secured all three points for the visitors with another header after 82 minutes.

And Spillane admitted it will take time for his players to get used to the artificial surface at Parkside.

Spillane added: “We have trained on it and played a few games at Parkside in pre-season but the new surface will take a lot of time to get used to.

“The difference between Parkside and Mill Field is that teams are going to want to come here and play.

“I know from experience, having taken teams to Mill Field and obviously managing there last year, that no-one wanted to go there.

“We have got to find a way of playing at Parkside to our advantage. It didn’t work against Bowers so we will go back to the drawing board.”