Werribee City showed some positive signs despite a first up loss in the Victorian Premier League 2 competition.
The Bees showed plenty early in their match on Saturday against Kingston City and led 1-0 at half time.
They weren’t able to hold the momentum with Kingston City scoring two goals late to seal the three points, 2-1.
Bees’ coach Craig Moore said they would take a lot out of the result.
“It was good to come back and have a bit of a competitive performance after a long pre-season,” he said.
“I think that we ran out of legs in the end. It was a hot day and we had some key injuries heading into the game.
“We didn’t have the fitness that was required. That will change the next few weeks when we have some players back and we have a deeper squad to select from.”
Ellis Ashe was goal scorer for Bees in his senior debut.
Moore said he had scored quite a few goals at under-23 level and had impressed them at trials.
“We signed him pretty quickly.”
Moore said he was happy with the first hour of the game before costly moments proved crucial late.
After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Moore said they had looked to take a deeper squad into this year.
“We’re very happy with the squad that we have put together,” he said. “We’ve got some long term injuries.
“There are some things you can’t plan for.
“We’ve brought in some good experience and players from lower levels.
“We’ve got a couple of visa players who are real stars and will make a difference in this league.”
After spending several seasons at the bottom of the table, including dropping from VPL1, the Bees haven’t had many wins on the board in recent seasons.
Moore said it takes time for things to fall into place.
Moore’s just finished his second full pre-season in charge.
“Change takes time to have a successful squad, “ he said. “We added some players last season and brought in some really good players this off season.
“We’ve got a really good changeroom with a new captain and new leadership group.
“We’re looking forward to seeing what we can do.
“We’ve got a competitive environment and supportive squad so that is a good start.
“We want to get that first win and get the confidence and momentum for the boys.”
Meanwhile in the VPL1 competition, Western United started its season with a 1-0 win against Melbourne Srbija on Sunday after it was 0-0 at half time.
