MID Coast captain-coach Emma Stanbury described her side's 8-1 victory over struggling Warners Bay in the Northern NSW Women's Premier League football clash at Taree as 'an ugly win'.
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This was the team's first success for the season and elevates the Middies to sixth on the ladder.
While happy to get the competition points, Stanbury said the performance wasn't as dominating as it should have been.
"There's a lot that we need to work on,'' Stanbury said.
"We should have won by more - it's a strange feeling, getting a win but not being content.''
Stanbury pointed out that Mid Coast only led 1-0 until deep into the first half.
"That's against a team that has been losing pretty bad,'' she said.
Stanbury started from the bench but came on earlier than she originally planned.
"I came on at the 30th minute and that was hard because I don't like making early subs. But there was no leadership or talk and everyone was very flat,'' she said.
"We started to lift a bit and managed to score two more goals five minutes before halftime and then got five in the second half.''
Stambury was reluctant to even nominate the top player.
"Honestly I don't think there was a standout,'' she said.
"Sophie Gallagher was probably the best.''
Gallagher along with Jonnie-Bree Gore scored two goals while Stanbury, Zora Boskovski, Claire Downie and Marissa Masterantoni added the others.
Stanbury said the win would be good for the team's confidence.
"But there's a big area that I have to work on with the girls regarding leadership and talk,'' she said.
"We should have done a lot better.''
Stanbury concedes she will have to start the game and not come off the bench.
"I gave the girls a few weeks to show they had the leadership and keep the energy high. They are only young and it is going to take a bit more time, so I need to start games with them,'' she said.
Stanbury also played the first half in reserve grade. She came off with the side leading 7-0, but the Middies didn't add to the tally in the second stanza.
Mid Coast will play the highly rated Maitland next start. Maitland defeated the Newcastle Olympic on Saturday night.
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