Cup clash 'learning curve'

MY BALL: Evolution Painting & Decorating Wanganui City's Carl Bond fights for possession against New Plymouth Rangers in their round one Chatham Cup match on Sunday. Rangers won 6-0. PHOTO/ SHARON FRANCIS 12052015WCSUPBOND

IT'S been a tough re-introduction to higher level club football for Evolution Painting & Decorating Wanganui City. But coach Kelvin Francis believes they aren't far off more consistent success.

Having moved up to Central Federation League this season, the team decided to enter the Chatham Cup for the first time since 2012. Drawing the classy New Plymouth Rangers away in the first round of the prestigious knock-out tournament, City travelled to Merrilands Domain on Sunday where they were outclassed 6-0.

"I reviewed the video last night. We tried to play but they were just better than us," Francis said.

The Rangers side, which includes former national league striker Tom Mosquera, was always a tough assignment for City.

"I thought Rangers were better than Team Taranaki [who are leading the Federation League]. We just continued to try and play football and play the system for 90 minutes. We don't give up." The home side raced out to a four-goal lead inside the first 20 minutes before the visitors stemmed the flow.

"We kept the ball a little bit better after then and created enough of our own opportunities," Francis said.

The match would have been a good experience for the young Wanganui side which fielded eight players under 18.

"That was a massive learning curve for them. Hopefully when we sit down to review the footage, they'll be able to take things out of it," Francis said.

Meanwhile, City head to Feilding this weekend needing a win to stay in the race for the Federation League top four.

After playing Western Premiership football last season, the Central Federation League has presented tougher opposition but again Francis said his team was better than their record suggested. City currently sit fifth, six points behind Palmerston North Boys' High 1st XI with one win and one draw in five matches. "We've had a couple of close games, games that we should've won, Francis said.

Along with learning to play a 4-2-3 playing formation, City will have to adjust to life without Chris Annabell, who has retired from first team football after more than a decade. "There's a lot of experience lost in the midfield there," Francis said.

He said the team were showing good signs despite not being quite where he wanted them to be in the league.

"I'd like to be a little bit closer to fourth," he said. "We haven't performed to our potential yet. I think that once it clicks for us, there'll be a team on the back end of what we received on the weekend.

"We've played some real nice football and you think 'why can't we do this for 90 minutes', but then if you can do that you'd be getting paid to play football."