Coach backs Bendigo City to end lean patch

City is in desperate need of a win after succumbing 3-nil to Melton Phoenix last weekend.

The loss, coupled with a 2-2 draw against bottom side Wyndham the previous week and a loss to Deakin University before that, has sent Bendigo City (4 wins, two losses, three draws) crashing to fourth place on the championship ladder.

As it has done for all but three weeks of the season, Barwon (8-1) heads the ladder on 24 points, two clear of the Phoenix (7-1-1), with Deakin University (6-3) a further four points back in third, three ahead of Bendigo City.

Entering a must-win round 10 clash against West Point 11 points off the lead, the experienced Thomas knows better than anyone there is still plenty to play out in a long Men's State League 5 West season.

"It's been a lean three weeks, we've been decimated a bit through player unavailability through COVID and illness and injury, but we get a few bodies back this week which will help," he said.

"It's a massive game for us this weekend, we need to get back to our winning ways.

"It's a fairly tight competition, anyone could beat anyone on a given day. It's taken us a bit by surprise just how strong the league is.

"You have to turn up each and every week and it's a really good eye-opener for our young side.

"We are getting tough games every week. We came up against a really good side last week, Melton, who I thought was the best side we have faced this year.

"To be honest, I didn't think we played all that bad, they were just a lot more clinical in the final third and they were more ruthless than we were.

"It's one of those things in football, you take your chances and you win games, you don't take your chances, you'll be on the wrong end of the scoreline and that's what happened last week."

With four wins and a draw to its credit, fifth-placed West Point will present another tough challenge for Bendigo City.

While without a win since a stirring 7-0 victory over league leaders Barwon on April 23, Thomas insists that in a 22-week season, all teams were bound to experience a lean patch at some point.

If and when that comes for the three teams currently above it on the ladder, the playing coach hopes Bendigo City is ready to pounce.

"We're looking to change things around a bit this weekend and hopefully we can get on a run again," he said.

"I'm confident we can do that.

"We've had a good week at training. We gave the guys a night off on Tuesday just to freshen up a bit and refocus, and we had a good night (Thursday night).

"Everyone is confident we can turn things around pretty quickly."

Luke Burns and Lewis Merriman enter round 10 as City's top goal scorers this season on six apiece.

Matthew Pontikis leads all West Point goal scorers with five.

In Saturday's reserves clash, Bendigo City will look to rebound from a 6-5 loss to top side Melton Phoenix against ninth-placed West Point.

Bendigo City (6-2-1) enters the weekend in second place on the ladder on 19 points, five points below the Phoenix (8-1).

Third-placed Barwon is level on points with Bendigo City.

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