Wolves coach David Carney has praised the defensive mindset of his players following Wollongong's resounding 3-0 win over Sutherland on Saturday night.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Just eight days after conceding a late goal - which saw them share the points with APIA Leichhardt, the Wolves made sure their wouldn't replicate that situation at Seymour Shaw Park.
Captain Lachlan Scott's penalty in the 17th minute saw the Wolves took a 1-0 half-time lead, before substitute Alex Masciovecchio's second-half brace rounded out the convincing victory.
It was Carney's first official win as Wolves coach, and means the side has now pocketed four points in the opening fortnight of the 2023 NSW NPL competition.
"It was a good win, especially after last week being 2-0 and they came back to 2-2. That was disappointing, but there were a lot of positives from last week, so we took that into Saturday's game. We learned from our mistakes and get the 3-0 win," Carney said.
"Getting a clean sheet was most important for us, and good for the confidence. We really worked on that on Wednesday night during the week, we spent pretty much an hour working on defensive shape, so it was well deserved because the boys worked hard for it.
"With the quality we've got, we're always going to score goals. But defensively, if we can keep clean sheets like we did on Saturday night, that would be excellent."
Carney also praised Masciovecchio for taking his chances when injected into the contest.
"If you want to win games, substitutions are key, especially in hot weather on astro turf," he said.
"I said before the game, 'subs can play a big part', so for him to come on and do something that exciting is good for his confidence and good for the team, knowing that someone like him can come on and score two.
"He probably should have scored three or four in the space of 20 minutes."
The Wolves will now shift their attention towards Friday night's home clash with Marconi at WIN Stadium.
It is set to be a tough clash for Carney's men, with the Stallions recording an emphatic 5-0 win over Sydney Youth on Saturday.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say.
Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Illawarra Mercury website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.
To read more stories, download the Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.