Having achieved almost all there was to in their debut A-League season, Western Sydney skipper Michael Beauchamp feels Sunday's grand final loss now gives them something to target next year.
The Wanderers went down 2-0 to the Central Coast in front of more than 40,000 fans at Allianz Stadium, ending an astonishing maiden season with their first loss since January 6 when, ironically, they went down to the Mariners by the same scoreline.
They entered the title decider on the back of a 13-game unbeaten streak and as minor premiers having created Australian sporting history as the first start-up club to clinch silverware in their first year.
Accomplishments made even more remarkable when you factor in that it was all achieved under a first-time head coach, 39-year-old Tony Popovic, who was in charge of a side that had been hurriedly thrown together just weeks before the season started.
With the championship trophy the only thing to elude them, Beauchamp feels it now gives them a focus for next season. "It definitely hurts and that's going to be a factor next season - we don't want to feel that again," he said yesterday.
