After a successful pre-season which saw them win two games and secure an impressive draw with League One neighbours Brighton and Hove Albion, Keehan admitted Lewes were below par for Saturday's game with Hastings but said it was a 'necessary kick up the backside'.

He told the Express: 'It wasn't a very good game for us.

'To be honest I half saw it coming.

'We had done so well before Saturday and on paper Hastings was going to be the weakest team but we never got going.

'I made a couple of changes which affected the balance of the team and we never got it right.

'We were a bit lethargic after four games in eight days and we didn't look like scoring.

'It was a necessary kick up the backsides for us.

'We will improve.'

Former Rooks striker Marc Whiteman scored an 84th minute goal for Hastings which consigned Lewes to their first defeat under Keehan.

The new manager used a total of 20 players in the friendly at the Pilot Field and said he is now much closer to knowing his starting eleven for the season's Blue Square Premiership opener away to Kidderminster Harriers on August 9.

He said: 'I'm still trying to look at some of the younger players who were in the youth team last year and are decent players.

'I'm nearly there with the starting eleven and I'm confident in eight positions at the moment and I'm looking at who fits into the other three places.'

ROOKS (starting line-up): Banks, Barness, Cullip, Graves, Chris Breach, Richards, Standing, Rowland, Geard, Taylor, Chamal Fenelon