A new league, a new-look squad and a new start, but King's Lynn Town were unable to get off to winning ways at newly-promoted Merthyr Town.

First-half goals from Kayne McLaggon and Ashley Evans sent The Walks outfit home pointless from their long trip to Wales.

And King's Lynn Town manager Gary Setchell had few complaints after his side's Southern League Premier Division return ended in defeat.

Setchell said: 'We got caught cold in the first half. That was a tremendous header from the lad for their first goal and that put us on the back foot a little bit. I'm disappointed with the two goals which we've conceded, but you've got to credit Merthyr. They squeezed the life out of us first half.

'They pressed us high up the pitch and made it very difficult for us.

'We could have crumbled, but we hung in there in the second half and in the end there were a lot of positives.

'We created two or three good openings and I was disappointed that we didn't make more of them after getting in some good positions.'

Setchell jumped to the defence of his side, who were caught trying to overplay for both of Merthyr's goals.

'We were punished for overplaying for the second goal, but we are going to try to play the right way,' said Setchell.

'That's the way we want to play, but, like I've said before, sometimes we will live by the sword and other times we will die by the sword.

'It was a tough fixture, but we were more than a match for Merthyr for most of the day and in the second half I certainly thought that we were the better side.'

Lynn's afternoon got off to the worst possible start when they conceded a goal on five minutes.

Defender Sam Gaughran conceded a silly free-kick after losing possession when bringing the ball out from the back.

Elliot Scotcher whipped in a set-piece from the right and a bullet header from McLaggon left Linnets goalkeeper Alex Street with no chance between the posts.

A half-opportunity for Jake Speight was all Lynn could muster in the first half with Street preventing the hosts from holding a big advantage going into the break.

Street twice denied Ian Traylor with brilliant saves, but there was little he could do about Merthyr's second goal 13 minutes.

The Linnets introduced Sam Mulready and Jackson Ramm at the interval and it had the desired effect in a better second-half display.

But Lynn's small band of travelling supporters still had to wait until the 70th minute to see their first effort on goal when Conor Marshall headed a Michael Clunan corner over the woodwork.

It was the cue for some late Lynn pressure.

Substitute David Bridges blazed high and wide, Kern Miller headed a Clunan set-piece wide before the former saw his effort blocked on the line in the final minute.

It wasn't to be and Lynn will now turn their attentions to tomorrow night when they host Cambridge City at The Walks, looking for their first home win since the turn of the New Year.

Merthyr: Bradley, Summerfield, Davies, A Evans, Baggridge, Green, Traylor (Morgan 71), Wright, McLaggon (Jenkins 81), Scotcher, Prosser. Subs not used: Hugh, Clarke, R Evans. Booked: Green, A Evans. Scorers: McLaggon 5, A Evans 33.

Lynn: Street, Watson (Ramm 46), Yong, Miller, Gaughran, Marshall, Clunan, Zielonka (Mulready 46), Speight, Stevenson, Hurst (Bridges 72). Subs not used: Fryatt and Frohawk. Booked: Speight, Watson.

Referee: Adam Matthews (Stroud).

Attendance: 509.