A quick trip down to Feilding's Timoana Park could be just the tonic for Wanganui City's Federation side this Saturday.
After a close 2-1 loss here at Wembley Park last weekend, against league leaders and now clear title favourites PN Marist, City will look to bounce back and hopefully repeat their round one victory over Fielding FC.
A lone Zane Robinson goal last week was all that the locals were able to show, in what was a quality fixture between two sides intent on playing to win.
It was, however, the Manawatu-based Marist side who rode their luck and came away to pick up the victory.
Marist coach Simon Lees was rapt to get away with an important 2-1 win over City at Wembley Park a difficult venue for visiting teams at the best of times.
"It's a pretty big win when we didn't play well at all," Lees said.
"We just kept battling away and came from behind to get the three points."
Wanganui took the lead just after halftime through Robinson, before Jordan Martens scored the equaliser. Lively midfielder Tyson Brandt gave Marist the win with an 80th-minute winner and deprived the hosts of any points after another concerted effort.
With a late substitute receiving a second yellow card minutes after coming into the game, the visitors were able to dictate the remainder of the fixture as City were reduced to 10 men.
This weekend will hopefully see a turnaround in fortunes and with a full complement heading to Feilding, City will look to turn some improved performances of recent weeks into a victory.
It has not been through lack of effort, and no excuses are being used by the City coaching team. But with injuries, suspension and illness all having a bearing on player selection of late, the players who have been on show have put in honest and improved performances on the field.
Youngsters JJ McInnes and James Dorgan are benefiting from more game time and improve each outing while stand-in gloveman Jack Judd-Nuttall is by no means letting down his team-mates between the posts.
Player/coach James Oxtoby, while frustrated with no return on his side's efforts, casts a positive outlook.
A determination among the group and a willingness from each player has the side together as a tight unit, who within themselves are taking a more philosophical approach to results, rather than a month ago when losses were causing anxieties.
Oxtoby knows the side are better than what the current league table says, with last season's Western Premiership Champions currently sitting in sixth place.
Just a couple of consecutive victories could well turn things around quickly, such is, apart from PN Marist, the closeness of the league.
Both of Wanganui's Western Premiership sides return back home today, with Athletic 1sts hosting an always impressive Palmerston North Boys High on Wembley's ground 2.
The locals may well look comfortable in this one, given the youthfulness of their opposition.
Athletic themselves have a multitude of youngsters, many of whom are experiencing their first season at this level, sprinkled with some experienced heads.
The Reds should well fancy picking up points this afternoon, given that they have home ground advantage and their schoolboy opponents are also in a transition of sorts with many of their own experienced and talented seniors now having left school.
City Reserves will be full of confidence up against a tricky Levin AFC on ground 1. They put in an impressive effort last week against a tough opponent in Redsox As over in Palmerston North with a bare eleven players available and to come home with maximum points.
Nonetheless, Levin pushed the City's Federation squad in a preseason game and are coming in fresh after sitting out the bye last weekend. The hosts will need to be wary, as that confidence from last week's effort should not be traded for complacency against a team always capable against any side in this league.
Both games kick off at 2.30pm.