Chris Annabell again steadied the ship as best he could, but Francis needed to bring on Luke Lambe to add a little bit more control to midfield.
We just couldnt get back into it in the second half, and I was a little disappointed we let them into the game, said Francis.
But it was a physical match, and the boys all knew theyd played a game.
Francis picked captain James Satherly as his man of the match for his work rate when pushed forward into the midfield for most of the game, as well as his steadying influence when he dropped into the backline.
One highlight of the match though, was the arrival of Josh McDermott on the field late in the second half.
Instructed to sit on the last man and just apply pressure on their defenders, McDermott came close to bagging himself a brace in his debut.
His first touch of the ball was shot on goal that just went over the crossbar, and minutes later a poor clearance by Levins goalkeeper saw McDermott sitting at the edge of the 18-yard box with an open goal, only to just drag it wide.
While he will be kicking himself for not finding the net, McDermott should be proud of the way he was able to capitalise on those types of chances and certainly will be one to watch for the future.
City will be looking forward to returning to Wembley and their home support for the match against Takaro this Saturday.
Meanwhile back at Wembley Park, the two Local League matches on the main ground provided misery for Marist FC.
In the clash between Marist Bhoys and Total Automotive Wanganui City Hammers, Bhoys went ahead early in the piece through a bit of luck and a composed finish by Ben Wheeldon.
However, the men in green lost their momentum soon afterwards and conceded an own-goal to bring the match level.
The seasoned Hammers took advantage of the shift and settled into their work, not letting the Bhoys regain a foothold, and closed out the match 4-1.
Wanganui Athletic Weekenders were next up to keep points away from Marist, when they soundly beat the Casuals 6-1.
The goal-laden fixture saw the revived Weekenders attack find ways through a leaky Casuals defence.
In other results from the weekend, anything but what was expected was occurring in every fixture.
Castlecliff Braves were on the warpath from the first whistle, going on to claim the scalp of Castlecliff St Anthonys and topple their clubmates from the top of the table.
With the score ending up 5-2, the Saints struggled to find their usual form, but coach Francis DSouza was quick to credit the efforts of their opposition, saying the Braves had some quick attacks and scored some good goals.
While Wanganui Athletic Reserves walked away with an expected result, beating Wanganui High School Internationals 8-0, the Wanganui City Thirsties claimed a momentous victory by beating Castlecliff United 7-2.
Marist Celtic gave Wanganui City Renovators a warm welcome to the Wanganui Mens Local League, defeating them 3-1.
While their points may not matter this season, the Renovators should find they will now get the competitive matches they need to further develop their football.
Wanganui Collegiate Boys 1st XI managed to sneak a 1-0 victory over the Wanganui Athletic Cosmos, but the biggest surprise result of the weekend goes to the St John Castlecliff 1sts, who scored a decisive 5-4 win over the Wanganui City Reserves in what proved to be a goal-fest.
The Cliff 1sts will view this as a critical win for them as they look to cement their spot in the top half of the league.
