Despite dominating play for longer periods, Extra Bula FC slumped to a frustrating loss on Sunday, a result that head coach Stephane Auvray and his men find increasingly difficult to stomach.
This is not because they were outplayed, but because they simply cannot find the back of the net.
“The frustration is just because we are not scoring; otherwise, what could we really be frustrated about?” Auvray said in a post-match press conference.
It was clear that Bula FC dictated possession and restricted Vanuatu to just minimal meaningful chances.
Yet, while the defence stood, the final touch remained elusive.
For Auvray, watching from the sidelines has become a test of endurance.
“The biggest challenge is sitting on the bench and just watching us shooting on the crossbar, the goalkeeper, off target… the ball gets on the line but doesn’t get in. That’s the biggest frustration,” he said.
The pressure of the goal drought even forced the normally composed tactician to abandon his philosophy mid-game.
“I’m someone who is very patient and believes in the long-term process, and I think I lost this today (Sunday). There was so much space to win the game that I kind of broke our structure and really played to win, which at the end of the day was not very productive.”
Player Adam Supyk shared similar sentiments.
“Frustrating probably is the word for me. We’re doing pretty much everything right apart from the final task of putting the ball in the goal.”
However, there is still a belief within the camp that the tide is about to turn with Supyk saying that once the first goal drops, the floodgates will likely open.
