Yoogali SC will head into this weekend's clash with ANU FC, knowing they now occupy a position inside the top four of the National Premier League 2 table.
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Coach Luke Santolin, however, is not keen on the idea that his side has now received a "free pass" into the top four after Queanbeyan City were docked 23 points by Capital Football.
"No one wants to be the team that got in because of administration," he said.
"The second part is what's the point of making the four if we aren't performing at a level that we can actually win a game in finals. I think it might cloud a few boys heads if we let that be the topic of discussion. I'm more focused on ANU this Saturday, who are the top team in the competition who we haven't been able to topple this year."
Off the back of a game against local rivals Wagga City Wanderers where the Yoogali side struggled to play their style of football, Santolin knows his side needs to work on their game management.
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"There is no doubt we can create chances and that we can match these teams for long parts of the game," he said.
"Whether it is when we cop a goal or have an injury or have a player missing, we just take too long to adjust, so it just about mental resilience where we can perform against adversity. We have spent a lot of time talking to the players individually about their own performances, and hopefully, that results in a better performance from the team as a whole."
This weekend will give the Yoogali side a chance to test that mentality against a top side in the competition.
"We need to be able to match these sides. Otherwise, yea, ok, we made finals, but what is the point if we haven't developed a game plan or a performance level that can actually warrant beating them," he said.
This weekend's clash now looks unlikely to proceed after Canberra were put into a seven-day lockdown starting Thursday night.
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