“It wasn’t from a lack of trying but more about some bad decisions,” Gary van Egmond said after the game.
The Newcastle Jets returned home on Wednesday after successive losses to Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart, but coach Gary van Egmond can-t fault his teams- effort.
“I think against Victory we played particularly well, across all of the game,” van Egmond said.
“The first half against the Heart we were second to the ball and we didn-t compete as well as what the Heart did but the second half was a different game; we looked to try and equalise but unfortunately we just couldn-t.
“In the latter period I think they all looked to try, it wasn-t from a lack of trying but more about some bad decisions.
“Game awareness, reading of the game, they are things we have to keep on working with the players on, and if they pick them up it is going to be beneficial for the team.
“But it certainly not for a lack of trying.”
The Heart-s winning goal was controversial, with a yellow card handed to keeper Mark Birighitti but it was questioned if he was fouled initially in the contest.
“From what I saw I thought Biras had the ball, then there was a collision, then he didn-t have the ball,” the coach said when asked if the referee made the right call.
“If Biras has the ball first and if he is collided into then I would suggest that is why he has dropped it.
“But I don-t know for sure, I haven-t seen it on the replay.”
The Jets now return home to host Adelaide United and Brisbane Roar back-to-back and hope to turn their fortune around.
“There was some frustration out there but you can also bring that upon yourself a little bit,” van Egmond added.
“If you win those early balls and get some early momentum it changes things.
“If that happens, things take care of themselves but we invited the Heart in and from that decisions were made.
“We have two games at home now, we look forward to playing Adelaide and Brisbane at home.
“We have to keep believing in what we are doing and hopefully we will get a few troupes back this week.
“We will check on Jobe Wheelhouse, see if we can get him back and take it from there.”
Meanwhile, Scott Neville and Dominik Ritter will both be assessed this week with hamstring issues troubling the two defenders in Melbourne.
