New coach Steven Dimitrievski started his tenure at Port Kembla on the right note as the Zebras beat Albion Park White Eagles 1-0 in their season opener at Wetherall Park on Sunday afternoon.
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An early goal from Bradley Acev helped Port outlast the White Eagles in a scrappy affair where both teams dusted off their early season cobwebs.
Dimitrievski, who took the reigns from Noel Spencer in the Illawarra Premier League off-season, was happy with the effort of his troops but conceded they needed to be more clinical as the campaign wears on.
"It was a great effort," he said.
"We probably made it a little difficult for ourselves in the last five or 10 minutes. White Eagles had a few chances in the first half as well to be fair but realistically we could have had four or five today.
"There was some wayward finishing but I am very proud of the boys.
"Three points at home and it's my first coaching gig in the Illawarra Premier League as a head coach.
"I have done it previously at Wollongong United but this is my own gig."
Dimitrievski didn't have to wait long to see his team off the mark in 2019.
Acev's eventual match winner came in the 13th minute after the Port attacker capitalised on some lacklustre defending to find the back of the net. Port's Mitch Di Pietro should have doubled the advantage moments into the second half but poked his effort over the bar with White Eagles keeper Bradley Jardine off his line.
The White Eagles enjoyed their best spell of position in the second half over the final 10 minutes, but couldn't craft a meaningful chance to level the scores.
They looked a shadow of the team that many excepted to challenge for silverware in 2019 in a poor performance to start the season.
The White Eagles were convincingly beaten in the Fraternity Club Cup final by Corrimal Rangers last weekend and were outplayed again by a hungry Port outfit away from home.
"It is very disappointing," Park assistant Rod Williams said.
"Our goalkeeper got injured very early and had to battle on with a medial tear, but I don't think there was one player there that stood out that was up to par.
"I think we were very poor from the goalkeeper down.
"There is no excuses. I am not going to stand here and give you one because I don't have one to give you."
Park will need to rebound in quick time as the club prepares for a mid-week FFA Cup tie on the Central Coast against Killarney District on Wednesday night.