Improved effort despite heavy loss

HIGHER LEVEL: New Plymouth Rangers' Liam Pungey goes up for the ball, watched by Wanganui Athletic Reserves' Tyrone Barnard.

IT WAS yet another week without reward for Devon Homes Wanganui Athletic in the Lotto Federation League with a loss away at Havelock North.

Meanwhile the Athletic Reserves will hopefully take away plenty of lessons from their 12-0 defeat at home in the hands of a merciless New Plymouth Rangers in the Western Premiership.

It is one of the longest road trips Wanganui Athletic have to take to play in the league this season, and it was a long way to go for what may seem on the surface as a disappointing 5-1 loss to Havelock North.

However, after capitulating 12-0 in the first game of the season to the same side, many within the club will be hoping this improved effort against a fierce opponent will spell the beginning of the solidification of the team as a unit, and the road towards improving results over the next few rounds.

It fell once again to the multi-faceted Ryan Holden to find the back of the net for the Reds - his goal on Saturday adding a third goal to his tally and sealing his spot as the team's golden boot leader so far this season.

Athletic's resolve will again be tested this coming weekend, as the rampant league leaders Team Taranaki make their way south looking to repeat the rout from their last encounter when the sides faced off at Yarrow Stadium.

The Athletic Reserves were always going to have a tough job in front of them, with one of the Western Premiership's dominant squads arriving with three-points on their mind.

Athletic's young development side battled well to try to get themselves a foot-hold in the match, but were easily outclassed by the New Plymouth Rangers side - whose victory on Saturday moved them two points clear at the top of the table and they now boast an impressive goal difference of 36.

While the scoreline would have been a demoralising hit to the confidence of the young side, coach Cliff Hughes spoke at the after-function for the two teams of being proud of his side, and that there were plenty of learnings they were able to take from the match.

Hughes' positivity about his squad's ultimate goals for the season has been enduring, and he should be commended for taking such an unwavering stance in support of the development of his side.

The key now for the Reserves is to bounce back from this weekend's defeat and to take knowledge from those lessons, and turn them into practice.

It is a task which needs to be executed quickly as the side travels to Feilding this weekend to face fifth-placed Feilding United.