Riverside coach Robert Murray has opened up about the challenges of coaching a young team leaking more than four goals per game.
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A stalwart of the Northern soccer scene, Murray took over from Olympic's inaugural NPL Tasmania coach Alex Gaetani after the team had lost their four opening fixtures 5-0, 4-0, 4-0 and 5-0.
After a moral-boosting first point of the campaign from a 1-1 draw at Clarence, the horror story has continued with back-to-back 6-0 thumpings from perennial title contenders Devonport and South Hobart.
Murray admitted it is tough to remain positive but believes in the potential of his Windsor Park squad.
"It's very hard because of where they are on the ladder and what's been happening the last year but we've just got to keep them enjoying it and keep them going. That's all we can do," he said.
"The more we can get around each other and encourage each other, the better.
"The team can actually play, they just need a lot of self-confidence. And they lack self-confidence because of where we are on the ladder."
Responding to Saturday's home loss to South Hobart, Murray praised a restructured side which played a 4-3-1-2 formation to maximise the threat of strikers Will Coert, Mitch Jones and teenager Toby Simeoni who was unable to convert two presentable first-half chances.
Instead, Ken Morton's men went in 2-0 up and killed off the contest with a third three minutes after the restart.
"I think they were all pretty good, it was a good effort from everybody, we were just out-gunned and couldn't get enough pressure on them.
"Getting goals is our challenge. If we can't get goals we can't win games so that's what we have to look at.
"We changed our shape a little bit to get more men up there in the dangerous areas. If we'd taken those chances we would have gone in with a lot more belief and would have scrapped a lot harder in the second half and maybe even got a result out of it.
"We're creating chances up front which is what we have to do to get some scoreboard pressure on sides.
"We can't just keep defending and trying to keep them out, we have to hurt them the other way so it's just a matter of finishing our chances."
The fixtures show little sign of getting any easier as Olympic host a third straight home game against champions Glenorchy on Saturday.
Appropriately enough for a team that plays in black and white, there are no grey areas for Launceston City.
A record of W, W, L, W, L, W shows the erratic nature of the outfit and Prospect Park party leader Lino Sciulli will be striving for a more stable economy on election day.
Despite hitting four goals in three of those wins, City's two losses at Devonport and Kingborough saw the same number conceded and there is a strong chance of another entertaining encounter against a Clarence side they beat in a seven-goal thriller on the opening day of the season.
"We're four and two - any other year I'd take that with glee - but we just need to get more consistency," coach Sciulli said.
"Those two losses we played very poorly and if you don't turn up in this league you are going to get beat."
The Prospect Park faithful had to make do with six goals shared against Olympia on Saturday with Albert Amankwaa, Jaden Fidra, Gedi Krusa and Dan Smith providing four beauties for the home side.
However, it was the second time in three games that City had to wait until the death to be sure of the points, following Fidra's 94th-minute winner at Glenorchy.
In his trademark mysterious style, Sciulli hinted at issues that needed sorting out for his inconsistent performers.
"I'm happy with another win but we've got a few skeletons in our closet that I've got to nip in the bud before the next game," he said.