Melbourne Victory hosts City in a top-of-the-table Foxtel Y-League Derby clash at Epping Stadium on Saturday.
A four-match unbeaten run has lifted Victory into second in Group A ahead of the Round 9 encounter.
Victory has two games still to play this campaign and is six points behind City, which finishes its regular season with the Derby.
Having seen his team have to come from behind in its past three games, Victory head coach Gareth Naven said while there were positives, he wanted to see better starts.
“You can’t concede, especially if you have the majority of the play, you want to get some benefits early with the majority of that play, not chase the match, because errors may occur when you start to do that,” he said.
“Even so, against Adelaide we chased the game, got two quick goals back, and then went on to score another two and change the state of the game, which was important.
“At least it gives players a different experience of the state of the match at different times, losing, drawing, getting in front. I think it really helps them understand that emotional rollercoaster as well.
“I think that those couple of weeks have been good in a way, yet not good in another.
“But we’d like to think we can move towards a more consistent approach and making it really difficult for other teams to affect us early in those games as well.”
Pierce Waring, 19, scored a hat-trick against Adelaide United in Round 8, taking his tally to five goals in as many games this season.
Foxtel Y-League 2017/18 Round 9
Melbourne Victory v City
Saturday, January 20, 4.00pm AEDT
Epping Stadium, Melbourne
