Ballarat City will play its first home game of the season, searching for its first win of the year as it takes on Whittlesea on Saturday night.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Following last week’s 3-1 loss to Brunswick, City coach Danny Gnjidic said it was not all doom and gloom and felt the opening round loss provided some promising signs.
However, this week’s focus has been on the defensive aspects of its game and the mental application of its structures.
“It wasn’t doom and gloom because all-in-all it was quite an encouraging performance,” Gnjidic said.
“It really is about, one, making the most of your opportunities and two, keep staying focused and concentrated in the back half...it’s the whole team and what their responsibilities are when the team doesn’t have the ball.
“Just really focused on the concentration side of it, the mental side of it and staying switched on and ensuring we’re not conceding goals that are avoidable.”
The playing group is excited to run out onto Morshead Park for the first time in 2017 and for the first time under its new name.
And with a new name, the club will also be hoping comes a vastly different win-loss record at home.
Ballarat lost eight of its 14 home matches last season and Gnjidic said it was clear that that record would have to improve if Ballarat City was going to work its way up the ladder.
“It was definitely an issue last year.
“You’re not really going to be able to build a successful push for promotion or successful season in any way if you lose too many games at home.
“It’s an opportunity to get off to a good start at home.”
Gnjidic forecast an attacking brand of soccer for Ballarat City in 2017.
The new coach believes City possesses a number of players capable of providing an attractive style of play and after tightening up on some defensive aspects, he expected a strong showing on Saturday.
“I’m really confident in the team’s ability to be a really solid football team.
“Given the technical ability of the players within the team, we can play a style that is possession based, attacking, that will highlight the strengths that we’ve got in the team. We’ll play the game the way a lot of us like it to be played and that is fast, hard but with some flair as well. If we can put all that together we’ll be one of the more entertaining teams in the competition and hopefully that comes to results as well.”
We’ll play the game the way a lot of us like it to be played and that is fast, hard but with some flair as well.
- Ballarat City coach Danny Gnjidic
After struggling with a lower back injury, Shaun Romein is a strong chance to return to the line-up on Saturday after a full week on the track.
While Dominic Swinton is also pushing for selection following his under-20 performance last weekend. Gnjidic said the club would likely make some alterations to its starting line-up.
“Given we’re coming off a loss we’ll look at making some changes.”