Gary Setchell was left gutted despite admitting King's Lynn Town got the result their opening-day display deserved.

Midfielder Lee Stevenson thought he had won it for the Linnets when he broke the deadlock during a scrappy affair against Merthyr Town in the 85th minute. Yet what had appeared to be heading towards a dream start to the Southern League Premier Division season turned into a nightmare for the hosts, and Ryan Fryatt in particular, at the death.

The right-back was punished for ball-watching during a frantic scramble in his own area and paid the ultimate price when he was red carded for desperately hauling Jon Brown to the ground inside the six-yard box.

As the clock ticked into the sixth minute of injury time Ryan Prosser stepped up and cooly slotted the resulting penalty home to break Linnets hearts as his men snatched a draw that even Setchell concedes they deserved.

Lynn's boss said: 'You cannot go to ground. I think it's a penalty. I've got no complaints with the referee. You can't get wrong side and go to ground.

'If you ball-watch in your own box and then dive in when you're wrong side – I don't think the lad would have probably got there anyway – you let the referee make a decision. I think he made the right one and one player has cost us two points.

'A draw was a fair result but I feel sorry for the lads. It was the first game of the season and you could tell it was very edgy. Nobody took too many chances and the ball exchanged hands regularly. It was a scrappy first game that nobody wanted to lose.

'We have got four or five special players in our team that can create a bit of magic. We did that, went 1-0 up, and we've just got to close the game out. Neither team deserved to win or lose. But how the draw has come about we're on the floor and Merthyr are delighted.'

Setchell had recalled big-name hitman Leon Mettam, despite him missing his side's last friendly, while fellow striker John Sands had to make do with a place on the bench after missing a large chuck of pre-season.

Summer returnee Dan Quigley slotted in at the heart of Lynn's back four with Matty Castellan ruled out because the club failed to receive international clearance in time following his stint playing in USA.

It was Quigley who shone more than any other player in the glorious sunshine during a clash that offered plenty of endeavour but little end product.

Just as it looked like the deadlock was never going to be broken Sands, so impressive during his powerful second-half cameo, saw his cross-come-shot controlled excellently by Stevenson, who found the bottom corner on the turn.

Sands nearly made the game safe but got his angles just wrong before Fryatt's moment to forget turned three points into one.

Setchell added: 'John's got to score hasn't he? That's a mistake as well because if he scores that's 2-0.

'It would have been harsh on Merthyr to be fair. You expect John to score. Maybe it was his rustiness. He did make a big difference and I think you got a little glimpse of what you've got here this year with Mettam and Sands.

'It was going to be a mistake or a special moment to win the game and we created both. Lee's touch for the goal was magnificent. His first touch was unbelievable. Ryan then made a horrible mistake and he didn't have one of his greatest afternoons.'

King's Lynn Town Ladies yesterday held Women's Premier League West Ham to a 2-2 draw at The Walks. Josie Turner and an own goal earned Lynn the morale-boosting friendly result.