Olympic coach Paul DeVitis knows improved defence is key to turning around their fortunes in NPLW Northern NSW after conceding another five goals on Tuesday night.
Olympic, the 2020 women's premier league premiers and champions and last year's second-placed side, have now leaked 19 goals in six games after a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Warners Bay at Speers Point.
It was their fourth defeat of the season and left DeVitis feeling frustrated after they had held an early 1-0 lead.
"We started really well but we're conceding goals that are poor goals to concede," DeVitis said.
"If we look back on the first three goals, we're super disappointed with ourselves and until we stop avoiding these goals, and they are very avoidable, we're going to keep dropping points.
"We're working really hard for our goals at the moment but we're not making teams work hard enough for theirs."
Olympic have been one of the competition heavyweights since joining the league in 2020.
They only lost four games in their first two seasons, conceding just 11 goals in 14 games in 2020 then 17 in 16 outings last year.
A string of injuries, sickness and unavailability has hampered their season start.
Newcastle Jets striker Jemma House is likely to return from injury during the second round while hard-working defensive midfielder Keely Gawthrop looks set to be sidelined for longer than first anticipated with a broken ankle.
"Everyone says Jemma is a big loss, which she is, but for us Keely Gawthrop is as big of a loss as Jemma House in her role in this team," DeVitis said.
"We're missing her dramatically, just for her leadership, and we don't really have any other defensive midfielders. She's just been told she's another eight weeks off, so we need to find a couple of solutions.
"We know the quality in the team but we're not demonstrating it enough at the moment."
The four-goal loss on Tuesday night left Olympic in sixth place on six points. But they are only three points behind their round-eight rivals Charlestown, who are fourth with nine points.
The two sides play on turf at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday night. Azzurri came from behind to win 4-1 when the two sides met in their season-opener on March 19.
