The Maitland Magpies will look to add at least two players to boost experience and add depth to their young NNSW NPLM squad.
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Magpies coach Mick Bolch said he had been delighted with the efforts and performances of the young players who had earned promotion to the first grade team.
However, Bolch said he was mindful that it was a long season and 17 and 18-year-old players were not going to be able to maintain their performance levels.
The Magpies bowed out of the Australia Cup on Tuesday with a 2-0 loss to Charlestown Azzurri at Cooks Square Park, and return to league action against Edgeworth on Saturday.
Bolch said the Cup loss was a disappointing result as the Magpies had dominated large portions of the game and created plenty of chances, but were unable to convert them.
"We spoke about them being dangerous at set pieces, they've probably got 80 per cent of their goals from set pieces," he said.
"We gave away a silly free kick within 15 minutes and the scored from it.
"We got a goal ruled out for offside which I thought was a tough call, replays showed he was probably onside.
"We then dominated the last 25 minutes of the first half and created multiple opportunities without taking them."
Bolch said the second-half was an arm wrestle, but again Azzurri were able to score off a set piece play from a corner.
"Realistically we were poor on the set pieces when we had to be better. People had individual assignments where we probably didn't do well enough," he said.
"We just need to improve across the park everywhere. We are having good periods in games and we're just not soring goals at the moment and then we are getting punished at the back for our mistakes. We are just conceding too many goals."
Bolch said he believed with the addition of a couple of players and continuing to work hard they will turn things around.
He said bar the 5-0 loss to Lambton Jaffas in a round six catch-up game on April 30, the Magpies had been in every game.
"We are creating chances, but we're just not able to convert them. However, we do need to keep clean sheets," he said.
"We've kept two clean sheets in eight games and conceded 15 goals which is nearly two goals a game."
Bolch said it was vitally important for Maitland to score first this weekend against Edgeworth at Jack McLaughlan Oval on Saturday.
"We need that boost in confidence and belief that we can take our chances and not have to chase games," he said.
Michael Hartshorn
Since starting in 1985 at the then Melbourne Herald, journalism has taken me around Australia from Victoria, to the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland and now Port Stephens. After all those years there is still something special about informing and connecting with readers.
Since starting in 1985 at the then Melbourne Herald, journalism has taken me around Australia from Victoria, to the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland and now Port Stephens. After all those years there is still something special about informing and connecting with readers.
