Another heavy away defeat on Saturday threatens to relegate North Force's encouraging start to the season into the distant past.
North Force's freewheeling 0-6 loss set the warning lights flashing at McFetridge Park as the visitors were unable to stem the tide of a rejuvenated Glenfield Rovers.
"It was a bit like
that Albany game we played (2-6 defeat in round four). We did pretty well in the first half but still ended up 0-2 down," manager Dean Wheatley said.
"We tried to get at them in the second half but their tails were up and they turned us over. Things just didn't go right for us," he said.
There were a number of defensive mistakes for North Force to rue in the match but nothing that could be trotted out as a single reason for the heavy defeat.
"We've just got to pick ourselves up for tomorrow [Monday], when we're away to Hibiscus Coast in the Chatham Cup, and I think Saturday's loss just shows the nature of the league with results still very hard to pick," he said.
Hibiscus Coast's 3-3 draw against Western Oratia on Saturday leaves North Force still clinging on to third place in the league but it doesn't address the problem of a lack of depth in the side.
Wheatley's side will be largely unchanged for today's game but he said a lack of depth was beginning to cause concern.
"It's starting to be a problem because we could do with one or two more quality bodies to give us more variation," he said.
Chief targets on the list will be Kamo's Steve Schimmel and Calvin Erick, who have both been in exceptional form playing in the Northland Premier League.
"We've been trying to get Calvin back and we've been talking to Steve Schimmel, but they're both a work in progress at the moment and we can only go with what we've got right now," he said.
"Glenfield fielded a different team to the one we played up here, in terms of personnel, but whether they've turned a corner or not I don't know. Their results will tell."
The Reserves played very well against a good side to concede late goals and cop a 0-2 defeat.
The first round of the Northland League Cup took place on Saturday with Kamo knocking out Madhatters 5-1 and Onerahi beating Kaikohe 3-0. Kerikeri beat Tikipunga 2-1 in injury time, and FC Whangarei also claimed a late winner to beat Central Brown 2-1.
