Coach Brett Angell echoes the sentiments of his players when he says it's time to break the hoodoo in the final roll of the dice at home in Napier today.
Thirsty Whale Hawke's Bay United have not won any games at Bluewater Stadium, Park Island, in the ISPS Handa Premiership soccer season.
"We should have done it by now so it'll be a good way to finish off the season the right way," says Angell before they kick off at 2pm against Southern United in the final regular season match this summer before the playoffs begin.
It's been a tough summer for the Bay boys who have missed the playoffs for the first time in six years.
Conversely the visitors have reversed their fortunes from last season, lifting themselves off the last rung of the ladder to a top-six berth in this campaign.
A victory here could push the Southerners into in fifth place, which would be their highest since 2010 (when they played under the banner of Otago United).
The hosts are coming off an away 2-1 victory over Waitakere United from the previous round, living up to the challenge to reverse results against teams they had lost earlier in the season.
The injury demons haven't eased off on Bay United with two-goal scorer Samuel Adjei hamstrung again.
"That is end of the season now but it's been frustrating for us as an organisation and for Sammy who's come to play but, unfortunately, he hasn't been able to do that far too often," Angell says.
The stocky Ghanaian/American import striker hasn't returned home and will watch today's game.
Southern United had beaten Bay United 2-1 in Dunedin in November amid some conjecture that the visitors are notorious for "winning ugly" and Angell reiterated that in his own way.
"For me, Southern are probably one of the most aggressive teams in the league - they certainly don't leave any stone unturned and will give you everything they've got.
"They've won more games than they've previously done and achieved more than they have for a number of years. We need to get the ball down and impose our style of play on them," he said.
He recalled how captain Bill Robertson and his men went ahead at Sunnyvale but switched off, including set plays.
"Our second-half performances sometimes haven't matched our first-half ones for a 90-minute effort and I think that's been the case against Southern as well."
Southern United, he says, don't have any "airs or graces" so it's adamant for his men to adapt smartly because they have been capable of beating stronger teams this season.
Angell said only two teams had beaten them twice in the premiership - Auckland City FC and Canterbury United - so he didn't want any other side to replicate that.
"Auckland have actually have done that twice in four years and this season and Canterbury have done that this season but we now have to stand up to that," he said, keen on three points.
Despite the turnover of player base this season, Angell feels the team have lacked penetration.
"The lack of concentration on the other end of the pitch haven't fallen into our favour."
However, he believes the personnel and players have given everything they have got the rub of the green hasn't gone their way.
Scoring just 17 goals from 21 games reflects that lack of clinical application at the coal face while defensively he says Bay United have bled two goals a game.
"That's made life difficult all round and we haven't given ourselves the platform to build from and haven't been clinical enough to relieve that pressure ... and given away soft goals to let the oppositions to get back in the game."
The big plus for Angell has been injecting youth players to give them the opportunity to taste national summer league.
He had refrained from using new blood all at once because he didn't think it was going to help due to a lack of a core base.
"We'd like to see the supporters come down to Bluewater to enjoy watching our final game to see us end the season on a strong note on a finish that is high up - I think that'll be sixth."
BOTH GAMES
Hawke's Bay United: 1. Ruben Parker Hanks (GK), 5. Bill Robertson (c), 6. Alex Palezevic, 7. Wesley Cain, 8. Sam St De Croix, 12. Ben Lack, 14. Gavin Hoy, 15. Jim Hoyle, 16. Tinashe Marowa, 17. Jordan Lamb, 19. Birhanu Taye, 20. Danny Wilson, 21. Bjorn Christensen, 22. Jorge Akers, 24. Karanjit Mandair, 26. Mackenzie Waite (RGK)
Coach: Brett Angell
Southern United: 1. Liam Little (GK), 2. Conor O'Keeffe, 3. Tom Connor, 4. Kristian Gibson, 5. Stephen Last, 6. Danny Ledwith, 7. Omar Guardiola, 8. Jared Grove, 9. Garbhan Coughlan, 11. Tim McLennan, 14. Andy Ridden, 16. Tom Stevens (RGK), 18. Nick Treadwell, 20. Alex Ridsdale, 23. Ben Wade, 24. Alex Cox.
Coach: Paul O'Reilly.