St Albans Saints’ coach Kruni Razov reckons the nerves of a first-up assignment back in the top flight of PS4 NPL Victoria competition may have got the better of his players.
The Saints did not perform to the standards they had set in pre-season, going down 1-0 to Avondale in the season-opener at Knights Stadium on Saturday night.
“I don’t know if it’s first game jitters or what it is, but it wasn’t the result that we wanted,” Razov told Saints TV, the club’s own channel.
“We had been a lot better in pre-season.
“We didn’t move it freely like we wanted to,” he said. “We gave Avondale too much room, too much respect, and I think, with the experience that they’ve got, you pay the penalty.”
Avondale struck through Kaine Sheppard in the 33rd minute – it would be the game’s only goal.
It was a new-look St Albans that took to the park, including big-name recruit Jean Carlos Solorzano, who made a substitute appearance.
The Saints now face Hume City in their home opener at Churchill Reserve on Sunday.
Green Gully was also on the wrong end of the scoreline in their season opener.
The Cavaliers went down 3-0 to Bentleigh Greens in a daunting opening round road trip to the Kingston Heath Soccer Complex.
It took the Greens just four minutes to find the lead through Lampros Honos.
Matthew Thurtell and substitute Andy Brennan put the finishing touches on the Greens’ victory with goals in the second half.
The Cavaliers have a bit of time to stew over the result with their next game, which comes up Monday night when they travel to face Kingston City at The Grange Reserve.
In NPL2 west, Sunshine George Cross played out a nil-all draw with Moreland City at Chaplin Reserve, leaving them with two points from two games.
The Georgies will be back at Chaplin Reserve again on Saturday when they entertain Werribee City, another side with two points after two rounds
