Hume City will go back to basics in a bid to recapture its early season form in the National Premier League.
After a good start the season, City has lost three of its last four matches including Friday night’s 1-0 defeat by Melbourne Knights.
After being third on the ladder after three rounds, they have slid to seventh with three wins, three defeats and a draw.
City coach Louie Acevski said it was easily the side’s most disappointing result of the year.
“It was a very poor first half from the boys,” Acevski said.
“The things we are good at normally were poor. Basics like pressure on the ball, keeping possession and winning the ball back.
“It was very poor.
“The second half was 20-30 per cent better.
“We locked the ball in their half and had 19 corners to zero.
“We applied the pressure but really didn’t open them up.
“We didn’t miss any sitters and there were no oneonone situations.”
Acevski said the most important thing for the side was to get back to basics.
“We need be improving on things we’re normally good at,” he said.
“I’m giving them the right instructions and we have enough quality to bounce back.
“I said we would be better from round six or seven onwards . . . that was round seven and that was the most disappointing aspect.”
City’s run doesn’t get any easier as they have a run of three games in a week.
They face Pascoe Vale on Saturday and Green Gully the following weekend.
In the middle of those two games is the round five of the national FFA Cup against NPL 2 East side Dandenong Thunder on April 20.
“It’ll be a very difficult game against a side that was relegated [from the NPL] last season,” Acevski said.
“They’ve won seven from seven and their home ground isn’t an easy place to get the points. It’ll be very difficult.”
In NPL 2 West, Whittlesea Ranges came from three goals behind and 3-1 down at halftime to beat Moreland City in a top-of-the-table clash at Epping Stadium, on Saturday.
Ranges scored five second-half goals to win 6-4 and keep alive their unbeaten start to the season.
The Ranges remain on top of the West ladder with five wins and two draws.
