Build it, and progress will come - Herbert

"The club now has a fantastic chance to get a model over the next couple of years and could be very strong." Ricki Herbert

Ricki Herbert says his side would love to pick up their first point of the Premiership season.

But he’s confident long-term progress will come.

Hamilton Wanderers came their closest yet in three matches of the new season when they lost 2-1 to Eastern Suburbs in Auckland on Saturday.

Herbert felt his side was worth ‘‘a point at a minimum’’ but a header from Max Mata - who was inexplicably left free on the edge of the six-yard box to head home from a Moses Dyer corner with three minutes to play - gave the hosts all three.

On the hour mark, Dyer had curled home from the edge of the area to put Suburbs in front, but Wanderers looked to have picked up their first point of the season, when Jordan Shaw bundled the ball home from close range in the 79th minute.

They had a chance to equal- ise again in the dying seconds, in similar circumstances.

It was a much improved showing for Ricki Herbert’s side, who had the services of Swedish striker Armin Pasagic, a former Suburbs striker, for the first time, fresh off the plane.

‘‘It was disappointing after all the good work - but it’s a bit of a stake in the ground from the start of the year,’’ coach Herbert said.

‘‘Psychologically it’d be good to do that. That would have been our biggest disappointment from yesterday - even just a point would have jumped us onto the table and we’d have seen we were moving in the right direction.

‘‘We’ve waited for a fair length of time to get one or two players over the line to come to the club this year and that’s probably not going to be completed for the next two or three weeks yet.

‘‘For the first couple of weeks we basically just managed to get 16 bodies available.’’

Herbert is pleased the club wants to take the direction of a lot more local investment.

‘‘I’m looking longer-term. I think we’re going to get a lot of things right and the club now has a fantastic chance to get a model over the next couple of years and could be very strong.

‘‘You need to get a model that will have consistency and challenge on a regular basis. It can’t happen every year, hoping that you’ll have players driving down from Auckland.

‘‘There’ll be a bit of pain at the start.’’

That pain could continue for a while as the bottom-placed side in the ISPS Handa Premiership must return north on Sunday to play Auckland City.

Meanwhile, WaiBop are also in bottom spot in the National Women’s League after a 4-1 loss at home to Capital Football.

Maggie Jenkins put the visitors to Cambridge’s John Kerkhof Park ahead when set up by Sarah Gregorius in the eighth minute before Leanna Ryan equalised 18 minutes later after a pacey solo run.

Goals from Maya Hahn and Gregorius in the 34th and 35th minute gave Capital a two-goal cushion at the break, and both teams had penalties saved in quick succession in the second half before Jenkins netted her second in added-time. The hosts were left to regret squandering a number of good chances.

❚ Additional reporting, Andrew Voerman