It wasn't the result coach Scott Fletcher was hoping for on the weekend, but he still believed his young premier league team would be a force to be reckoned with in seasons to come.
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The Tuncurry Forster Tigers suffered a disappointing 3-0 loss to the Kempsey Saints at Harry Elliot Oval on Saturday, with Fletcher believing the game was closer than the final score indicated.
"We were competitive but didn't take our chances and they took their's," he said.
"The boys never gave up."
Striker Cooper Sweeney was their best player, with mid-fielder Brendan Davidson and goalie Rourke Banham also putting in strong performances.
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Fielding a squad largely made up of under-18 players, Fletcher admitted it had been a struggle at times this year to match the strength and experience of some of the other teams in the competition.
But with plans to hold on to a good percentage of the young players, he said they had the potential to grow into a formidable team.
"They're all very young. They should be a lot better next year."
With two rounds left in the premier league season, the Tigers will be looking for redemption next week as they take on the Taree Wildcats in their last home game of the year.
The two teams sit next to each other on the competition ladder and Fletcher believes it will be a nice confidence boost to get the win and finish ahead of them.
He's urging fans to get along to Harry Elliot Oval at 3pm on Saturday to show their support for the last time in 2019, with a raffle also running to benefit the Samuel Brett Nelson Kickstart Foundation.
Wallis Lake FC take on the Kempsey Saints at Kempsey.
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