Tauranga City back in action on Monday

BATTLING: Tauranga City striker Colm Kenny scored two penalties in the 2-5 loss to Hibiscus Coast on Friday. PHOTO: ANDREW WARNER

The only good thing to come from Tauranga City United's 5-2 defeat to Hibiscus Coast on Friday is there was no time to dwell on the poor performance.

Seventh-placed Tauranga are back home at Links Ave today from 3pm today for what promises to be a highly competitive Northern League Division One match against Manukau City coached by Kevin Fallon.

Certainly Tauranga will need to be more awake in the opening stanza than they were on Friday.

They were 3-0 down at halftime with the match essentially all over. In the second half they gave as good as they got to match the home team 2-all with Colm Kenny putting away two penalties.

That makes five spot kicks from the last two games after Tauranga managed to miss three at home to Franklin last Sunday.

Coach Barry Gardiner admits Friday's performance was not their best by a long shot.

"The away games we have had this season we have under performed, very contracted compared to our home form where we have played two really good games and played well," he said.

"Both first halves away from home we have been behind, 2-0 down against Ellerslie and then 3-0 down this weekend. The game is really finished when it is 3-0 at halftime and it wasn't good enough from all of us and we all know that."

Gardiner believes Hibiscus Coast were a better side than they had shown in losing two and drawing one of their opening three games.

"They have some decent players and play quite well. I am surprised actually as to where they were. They had a really good pre-season as well and won the Auckland tournament. They had been unlucky the first three games and not taken chances at the right time as well as making mistakes.

"That was evident in our performance on Friday. We made individual errors and collective errors in defensive areas which cost us and they capitalised on it."

Tauranga City's attacking might is not in doubt.

In the previous two matches before Friday they had 22 and 23 shots on target which is a high ratio to have at any level.

The key stat though is how many end up in the net which clearly needs improving, beginning with today's game against fifth-placed Manukau.

"We know we will be in for a tough game. Kevin Fallon takes them and they got promoted last year. They are one point ahead of us on the table and they have not given a lot of goals away (five to Tauranga's 10)," Gardiner said.

"They are well organised defensively so we will need to be at our best. Kevin Fallon's teams are never going to be easy to knock over so we will certainly need to perform well and we will certainly need to be at a higher level than we were on Friday to pick up the points.

"I am confident we can do it because we definitely have the ability in the squad. It is just about getting the right mind set into the game."