Their performance against a 10th-placed Forrest Hill was not the best of the season, but North Force Reserves' coach Paul Herbert cannot fault the effort his troops have poured into the US1 Reserve premiership so far.
"We won five games overall last year, scored 27 goals and conceded 56," he said.
"So
at the start of this year, we made some realistic goals and we're on track. We thought it would be good if we could make the top five. We want to score more than 35 goals - we have 21 to date - and we want to concede less and 35.
"Those goals are achievable and if we do those things, it will be a great season."
Heading into the match against Forrest Hill, North Force were placed sixth, battling to get the edge over the tough competition hustled in the mid-table.
It was a lack-lustre affair at Tikipunga Sports Park on Saturday, the visitors outplaying the hosts in the first half to score four unanswered goals and leaving North Force plenty to think about at halftime.
An improved team emerged in the second half, and North Force took control for the first part, with Sammy Oso and Tom Taylor rectifying the scoreboard somewhat.
However, North Force's lethargy returned and Forrest Hill added two more to create an imposing buffer that led to a 6-2 victory.
"I don't want to make excuses but we didn't have our normal team and had players out of position," Herbert said.
Several players stepped up from the under-17s to replace Joseph Luiten and Ambrose Liefting, who left a gaping hole in the reserve's defence, and the physicality and pace of the game took the youngsters by surprise, the coach explained.
"But they went really well and showed a degree of maturity in the second half ... it was the missed opportunities that kept us out it."
Next week, North Force reserves play Albany at Rosedale Park. Albany are fourth, ahead of Birkenhead and North Force, and they are chasing Glenfield, East Coast Bays and Waitakere.
