NEW Bendigo City FC Coach Srecko Baresic is confident things are looking up for his young side after a 1-0 defeat to Moreland City FC.
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Saturday's narrow loss at Campbell Reserve in Coburg was in sharp contrast to Bendigo City's first two outings in the Victorian National Premier Leagues West competition this season in which they were outscored 13-0.
Baresic said his team had learned some valuable lessons in a 5-nil defeat to Northcote City FC and 7-0 loss to Moreland Zebras.
Those two teams head the league ladder, with Northcote City unbeaten after three games with a handy plus-nine goal differential and Moreland Zebras with a win and two draws.
Baresic, who boasts coaching experience in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, as well as spending time in Australia, said the rough start to the season was not entirely unexpected.
"We signed almost no one (new) and we are just playing our young kids. We don't have a budget," he said.
"We were very competitive in the pre-season, but there is a huge gap between the quality of other clubs now and our team.
"We know that and are dealing with it, but we're getting there."
Baresic said the team had employed new tactics and devised a new system in the lead-up to the Moreland City clash, with a greater emphasis on defence.
He said the team had two very good chances to equalise the score late in the contest after Moreland City pulled ahead in the 79th minute.
"We were only seven or eight minutes away from getting a point," Baresic said.
"One thing these kids don't do is give up - I really believe in them.
"They work so hard. Just that lack of quality makes a difference - and we have some injuries.
"But changing the system and the tactics should be able to bridge that gap."
Meanwhile, Luke Burns scored his second goal of the season in Bendigo City's under-20 team's 3-1 defeat to Moreland City.
Burns scored City's lone goal the previous week in a 1-all draw with Moreland Zebras.
Bendigo City next week plays Sunshine George Cross at Chaplin Reserve in Sunshine.