Football: Whanganui lack bite in loss to New Plymouth Girls' High

Football Whanganui skipper Vanya Apiata-Hodgkinson had another dominate performance but couldn't find the back on the net in loss to New Plymouth Girls' High School on Sunday. Photo / Stuart Munro

All the ingredients are there except the most vital one - goals.

Football Whanganui again went goalless as they slumped to a third consecutive loss to open their GR Engineering Women's Federation League campaign.

The 1-0 loss to New Plymouth Girls' High School at Wembley Park on Sunday was a familiar story for the Whanganui side who have got much of their game right but are just struggling to find the back of the net.

It's not as though Whanganui were outplayed, certainly not in the first half, when striker Vanya Apiata-Hodgkinson and winger Dana McClelland were a constant threat to the visitors.

Between them they had close to a dozen chances but with lack of support flowing forward they often became stranded and when they went it alone the execution wasn't quite there.

It meant the school side only had to make one of their opportunities count and that came through Mackenzie Barry pivoting to fire her side ahead with a sharp shot from the middle of the box as half time approached.

Other than that Whanganui's defence, led by another assured performance by keeper Megan O'Connor, held well.

A repeat of their first-half performance would have given Whanganui a good show at equalising but the creativity was left in the shed as the match meandered to an inevitable loss.

Whanganui coach Matthew Calvert said his side seemed to run out of ideas.

"It's a bit frustrating because it's the same thing that we're saying every week," Calvert said.

"It's not a lack of people not caring and not working hard, it's just people not going that extra level to get the win, you know, we're chasing games and we're going through the motions.

"The goal they scored was really good but apart from that they've not had many chances."

There were positives.

"As a defensive unit we've done really well and restricted them really well. We're good in our own half but going forward we need to be better," Calvert said.

"One goal in three games – it's just not good enough. You're not going to win games like that."

Getting support up the field when on attack is something that needs work and Calvert said there had been plans in place.

Football Whanganui's Alice Hetherington races New Plymouth Girls' High School's Amelia Simmers for the ball in Sunday's Federation League match at Wembley Park. Photo / Stuart Munro

"People had individual jobs and individual tasks to do and at the end of the day we haven't done that which is disappointing.

"Again, it's not lack of effort, it's just lack of persistence. I think persistence is the big key word.

"I think for some, once we're losing, they're just into the habit of it and it's trying to get them out of it.

"We're still learning, we're still changing and at the end of the day games like this last year we would've got beaten by more."

Whanganui travel to New Plymouth next this Sunday to take on second-placed Moturoa AFC before hosting leaders Massey University a week later.

"Things don't get any easier as we go along and you've got to take the opportunities when you're on top," Calvert said.

"You have to take your chances and force the issue which we're not doing at the moment but we'll get there."

In the round's other match Massey beat Taradale AFC 2-1 in Hawke's Bay.