Ballarat City coach Danny Gnjidic plans to add just one new player to the senior squad during the current transfer window in the National Premier Leagues Victoria 2 competition.
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Gnjidic said the club will announce its new signing next week, but revealed it was hoped he would fit the mould of attacking midfielder Michael Trigger, who recently departed City for Heidelberg FC.
Trigger enjoyed a brilliant start to the campaign with Ballarat, scoring nine goals before his move to the NPL competition was made public.
Gnjidic said the club wouldn’t look to bring in a string of new players during the transfer period given the senior team’s good form and the aim of maintaining opportunity for locals to use the club as a pathway to high levels of the sport.
Ballarat is preparing for a big clash this Saturday evening, with the home game against Brunswick City offering a chance to climb up the west division table.
Currently eighth, Ballarat is just two points behind third-placed Melbourne Victory and six adrift of second-placed Moreland Zebras.
Brunswick City is one of four teams just two points clear of Ballarat.
Gnjidic said his side is better prepared to take on Brunswick this time around after the Melbourne-based outfit won 3-1 in the round one clash during February.
“We did have a good pre-season and a good preparation, but I think it took our boys perhaps a few weeks to adapt from pre-season mode into league season mode,” Gnjidic told The Courier.
Gnjidic said the team – which drew 0-0 with Werribee City last weekend – is now better equipped to maintain intensity and focus across the 90 minutes of a match.
“We go into (Saturday’s game) with a good form line behind us and a fair degree of confidence,” he said.
Saturday’s round 16 encounter kicks off from 6pm at Ballarat’s Morshead Park.