Brisbane Roar are undefeated at Suncorp Stadium under acting head coach Ruben Zadkovich but they will need all three points when they host Melbourne Victory on Sunday.
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The Roar play five of the top six A-League Men teams in their next sequence of games. They are on 22 points and will likely need at least 40 points to reach the semi-finals the way the competition is shaping.
Defensive lapses have been a constant issue and need fixing. The Roar under Zadkovich, however, have shown grit and fight with two late equalisers at Suncorp salvaging draws, the latest a Jonas Markovski goal in the 92nd minute to secure a point against Western United.
That "never say die" mentality will be needed against competition heavyweights Victory.
"That is a massive positive and something we speak about in-house a lot," Zadkovich said.
"We want to tap into our DNA and what has made the club great in the past.
"A lot of that revolves around hard work and that fighting spirit mentality.
"We were disappointed with the first half (against United). We were sluggish and didn't get out of the blocks.
"But there was a real intensity to how we went about the second half and we created more than enough chances to win."
Striker Tom Waddingham, 18, has four goals in his past three games but could have had more if he'd taken his opportunities.
"He's a young Queensland talent with a lot to improve," Zadkovich said
"We are working Monday to Friday on a lot of different areas technically but he has a knack in front of goal and is very good with anything inside the box.
"He is a good kid as well. He is humble and we are trying to keep his feet in the ground and it will be nice for him to keep going with that run."
Australian Associated Press
