WAGGA City Wanderers suffered their first loss of the NPL Two season at the hands of Queanbeyan City at Gissing Oval on Saturday.
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Two goals in the opening 24 minutes from the visitors had the Wanderers on the back foot and they were never able to fully recover, going down 3-2.
Matt Menser scored just before half-time to make it 2-1 and the Wanderers had the better of play for most of the second half.
Queanbeyan City however managed to get an important third goal in the 70th minute to edge further ahead, with Luke Stevens scoring the Wanderers' second in the 90th minute.
The loss, the Wanderers' first for the year, should keep them in third position ahead of a big showdown with ladder leaders Yoogali in Griffith next weekend.
Wanderers coach Michael Babic believes they will take plenty out of the loss.
"We needed that in a way. As disappointing as it is, it's a good eye-opener for where we're at and how we're going," Babic said.
"I think we learn more from the loss then we do from winning all of the time."
Babic believes there was little between the two teams
"The start of the second half, the first half hour, we absolutely dominated, created lot of opportunities to make it 2-2, we just didn't take them," he said.
"Then with about 15 minutes to go they got the third one to go up 3-1. Then again as we chased the game we created lots of opportunities and finally got one.
"We created enough opportunities to get something out of the game, it just wasn't our day.
"We really pushed them all the way and they're second on the table and one of the favourites. We more than matched them. We created probably more scoring opportunities than they did but they took theirs, and we didn't take ours."
Babic believes the Wanderers learnt a valuable lesson in professionalism from an experienced Queanbeyan City outfit, in what proved a physical encounter.
"What we learnt from it was just the professionalism at this level," he said.
"There was key times where they made professional fouls because they knew they were in trouble and our players just don't do that. They're not at that level.
"The third goal that killed us off, we allowed one of their guys to run 40 yards with the ball and then he puts it in the top corner but they never allowed us to make those runs. We would have been brought down or hassled off the ball.
"It's just that level of professionalism, they're all paid players, semi-professional players, they've been around a while and have got experience. They just know when to do it, when to give away a foul.
"They were very physical, they're a big side, and they were very physical, which you expect that at this level and there is a reason why they're at the top of the table so for the young guys coming through and learning their trade, that's important."
Isaac Brooker and Menser were standouts in defeat for the Wanderers.
The Wanderers will now try to regroup for the Yoogali game.
"We expect another big game. We've just got to turn up and do the business," he said.
"I don't think we fear them at all, we just know it's going to be a hard game and they're going very well and have scored lots of goals.
"It's another test for where we're at."
The Wanderers under 23 team had an 8-2 win over Queanbeyan City.
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