The loss - and an identical result in the proceeding under 20 clash - left WCFC well adrift in the club championship, which determines which NSW Premier League club makes the drop.

Despite the defeat - WCFC's 14th in 17 games - Fontana believed the nightmare season could be salvaged.

"Never," Fontana said when asked if WCFC were certain to be relegated to the second-tier NSW Super League.

"We're stuck in the mud and desperate, but we'll keep trying. There's still 125 (club championship) points to play for and we'll go for it."

Regardless of the points table, Fontana wants his side to get a win for their flagging spirits after weeks of promising, but futile efforts.

"It's not the greatest position to be in," he said.

"I feel very sorry for them - their self-esteem and confidence after this result and everything week-in, week-out is shot."

Fontana even foreshadowed pulling his troops off the training park and into the pub in a bid to boost morale.

"We'll have an easy session Tuesday - might even go for a beer and a gym session," he said.

Fontana defended the club's decision to grant skipper Steve Hayes a two-week leave of absence to chase a full-time contract in Singapore.

Hayes left midweek and his dynamic presence was missed in midfield, his absence amplified by new recruit Jamie McMaster's late withdrawal due to having the flu.

"What sort of a message does that send out to Steve, who was promised if anything that came up that would be beneficial to him that he could go, if we turned around and said no?" Fontana said. "We kept our promise, but it's terrible timing."

As he has many times since taking over, Fontana was left to rue his side's poor luck and wasteful finishing after a clutch of missed chances.

"We missed 10 chances, we were better than them in the first half and we killed them in the second half," Fontana said.

The under-siege coach was also frustrated by the referee's decision to award an indirect free kick - instead of a penalty - after dangerous play against James Monie in the penalty area in the dying stages of a tense match.

"That was an amazing decision. An indirect in the box when a guy gets kicked in the head, instead of a penalty," Fontana said.

"The penalty against us, there was no way Alfredo Esteves deliberately handled the ball."