COACH Craig Deans has warned there is no "quick fix" for the Newcastle Jets nor does he intend to give up on the the young talent at the A-League strugglers.
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The Jets went down 2-1 to a 10-man Perth Glory at HBF Stadium on Saturday.
Perth played the final 55 minutes a man down after Jonathan Aspropotamitis was sent off for a second yellow card.
The home side led 2-0 at that point through goals to rookie striker Ciaran Bramwell (17th minute) and defender Darryl Lachman (24th).
Roy O'Donovan pulled a goal back for the Jets on the hour. The visitors dominated the final 30 minutes but couldn't deliver a killer punch.
Perth, to their credit, defended resolutely while senior men Diego Castro, Bruno Fornaroli and Andy Keogh were instrumental in closing the match down.
"They were under a lot of pressure but were able to manage the game," Deans said. "We had lots of opportunities to create chances and score goals and we didn't take them. We had 22 shots to six, which you should have when you are playing against 10 men for an hour.
"The challenge for us is of those 22 shots, scoring more than one goal. We didn't have the quality in front of goal. I can't fault the effort and the endeavour to win the game and fight until the end.
"The last 15 minutes, Castro and Fornaroli came into the game and they are experienced enough to finish the game off.
"We have to keep working every day on the quality of the finishing and delivery of balls into the box.
"There is no quick fix. You can't buy match experience and the exposure our young players are getting. It is a matter of how quickly they can learn and how quickly they can get to the level."
The Jets had seven players with 50 or less A-League games in the starting side.
"I knew what I was walking into," Deans said. I'm not complaining about it. I'm happy to work with young players."
The loss was the Jets' fifth straight and leaves them second last on 11 points.
Another defeat to Western United at home on Easter Monday would equal the club's longest losing streak. They lost the final six games of the 2016-17 season.
On the cusp of the top six a month ago, they now face the unwanted prospect of a battle with Melbourne Victory (eight points) to avoid the wooden spoon.
"The players are frustrated as well," Deans said. "We don't want to be in the position we are in. There is nowhere to hide. You have to turn up on Monday and keep working."
O'Donovan's goal, a brilliant volley with the outside of his right foot, ended a six-game barren run.
"Roy could have had two or three," Deans said. "He comes under criticism because everyone expects a lot of him. But he has not been getting the service that he needs. He is not a player who is going to get the ball and beat six people. If you give him opportunities in the right areas, he is a good finisher. He showed that again. We need to make his life easier."
However, Deans was not as happy with the way the two goals were conceded.
"The first one is about people understanding their role in the game and making sure you do the defensive work - the ugly stuff," he said. "The second one is a set piece - someone loses their players and it's a free header. Those are the type of goals you don't ever want to concede. It's an individual error and they are costing us. But there are a lot of things you can do before that error comes up. It'd not an individual thing. It's all of us.
"We are not scoring enough goals to give away cheap ones. We need to be better in first half of games and make sure we are in a position in the second half to go on and win."
James Gardiner
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
