Win 'just around the corner' for Bendigo City under-18s, says assistant coach

For the second time in as many weeks, City was forced to share the points following a 2-2 draw against North Geelong Warriors on Sunday.

Caldow, who took the reins as coach in Geelong in the absence of Greg Thomas due to personal commitments, was impressed with what he saw in Geelong.

He believes it's only a matter of time before the under-18s snare their first win.

A breakthrough win would be the club's first ever in a top division of NPL soccer.

Without wanting to heap too much pressure on the playing list, the club's first victory could come as early as this weekend.

A double-header weekend for the under-18s includes a Sunday clash against South Melbourne, which boasts two wins from eight games this season.

The second of those two wins came last Sunday in a confidence-building 3-0 victory against Avondale.

Prior to that, South Melbourne sat directly above Bendigo City in 11th position on the ladder, but have since jumped to eighth.

While encouraged by nabbing another point against North Geelong, Caldow insisted Bendigo City was unlucky to not have come away with an extra two points for a win.

"I think we have grown a lot in our first eight games," he said.

"The first few rounds we might have been a little flustered and maybe weren't in the right space, but I think we have grown into the league and realised we have to be a bit sharper and a bit more pragmatic and focus on minimising risk and mistakes.

"We set up quite defensively at the start of the (weekend's) game and just tried to kill the game for the first 15 or 20 minutes and make it hard for them, which we did really well.

"Obviously Hamish Walker is pivotal in that. He's a target, so if we are under pressure, we can find him higher up the pitch and play off him.

"He's pretty reliable in that way."

Walker had an outstanding weekend, contributing two goals apiece in the Bendigo City senior men's team's 9-1 win against Surfside Waves on Saturday and the under-18s draw on Sunday.

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His penalty conversion in the 61st minute against North Geelong gave City a 2-1 lead, before they conceded a late equaliser in the 78th minute.

Caldow said there was plenty to be proud of in Sunday's draw.

"Jarrod Dunstone had his best game of the year. He's a quick little winger and he caused a lot of problems in behind their back four and won two penalties," he said.

"That's how we scored our two goals.

"There wasn't anyone I could fault, to be honest, on the weekend.

"In terms of our performance, even thought it was quite pragmatic, we did execute exactly what we were trying to do.

"We probably should have won - we conceded pretty late - but there's no doubt we are growing into the league."

This weekend's double header will include a Saturday afternoon match against top side Melbourne City at Casey Fields.

Bendigo City will be looking to protect a generally proud record against the competition's powerhouses, headlined by a 2-1 loss to Western United and a one-goal defeat against second-placed Bulleen Lions.

"City will be a really good test for us, but if the boys do execute the instructions like they did against North Geelong, I feel we can give them a really good game," Caldow said.

"Looking at the season, a lot of the games we have come really close in have been against the top sides.

"Hopefully the boys realise what an opportunity it is to go down to their home ground and hopefully get a result."

Caldow has notched up a handy record of his own when filling in for Thomas this season.

He led Bendigo City to a grading match win over Pascoe Vale and was at the helm for last Sunday's draw.

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