Melbourne Knights coach Steve Bebic believes maintaining consistency will be the next step for his side to become a top team in the National Premier League.
The Knights had their round 11 clash suspended due to ground flooding, so with one game in hand after ten games, they sit in ninth position with five wins and five losses.
“Overall I think our performances have been positive,” Bebic said.
“I don’t think there’s been a game where an opposition has carved us open and totally dominated.
“It just shows the group we have, we’re good enough on our day to take it to any team.
“It’s just about maintaining that consistency and their focus and their concentration and not letting that energy drop for any one week against any one opposition because at this level, you will get punished.
“So I think it’s a positive knowing that we are thereabouts and it’s taking that next step to maintain that consistency needed to be regarded as one of the top teams in the league.”
Bebic says he has been pleased with his side’s ability to defend in the last month, which included a 2-0 Australia Cup win over Bulleen Lions.
“Over the last four or five week period I think the boys have done well,” he said.
“Our performances have been quite positive overall and we’ve been getting results.
“Over the last five or six weeks, we’ve picked up four clean sheets from memory including the Australia Cup match, which is something we’ve been working on.
“The concentration levels of the team have been improving week in week out and we’re sort of getting rewarded for our performances.”
Knights have won three of their past fives matches in the NPL including clean sheets against Eastern Lions, Hume City and St Albans.
After 10 games, Bebic says his team is striving for a top six position in the finals and believes any team can make it in the competitive league.
“Now that we’ve got this catch up game, you’re sort of unsure of what’s happening because you get that one game less than everyone else,” he said.
“I think the ambition hasn’t changed from our perspective, we’re sort of within touching distance of that, of that top six, and I know it’s quite tight from that second or third all the way down to ninth or tenth.
“Any team that can string a run of results in this league will pretty much cement themselves a spot in the finals so that’s obviously our ambition.”
Knights played Altona Magic in their round 12 match.
Results: brimbanknorthwest.starweekly.com.au/sport/
Max Hatzoglou
