The 3-0 loss to Hawkes Bay, last year's runner-up, leaves the Dunedin-based team without a competition point or goal to its name after two games.
Despite playing with the wind at its back in the first half, Southern United failed to take advantage of a couple of half chances and dominant periods of possession.
Instead it was the home side that found the back of the net in the 28th minute courtesy of some sloppy defending from a corner. Southern failed to pick up a runner outside the box, and the ball fell for Fabien Kurimata to bang past goalkeeper Tom Batty.
''Defensively, that was a very disappointing goal to concede,'' Southern United coach Mike Fridge said from Napier yesterday.
The team was down 1-0 at the break, with Fridge mostly frustrated by his players' unwillingness to pull the trigger in the attacking third.
''I told the guys at halftime I could not believe no-one wanted to take a shot from outside the box,'' he said.
''Especially when we had the wind behind us. We were trying to walk the ball in. I was a little bit baffled by what we were doing when we were getting close.''
In the second half, Hawkes Bay did what Southern United could not do in the first half - take advantage of the wind.
It added goals through Sam Mason-Smith and Kohei Matsumoto to bag all three points on offer in convincing fashion.
Southern United, which lost defender Craig Ferguson on Friday night after his knee injury flared up, went into the game with eight players unavailable through injury or personal reasons.
Fridge was forced into using all three substitutions when Stu Kelly (ankle), Sam French (leg) and Andrew Ridden (leg) went down with injury, but he does not think any of them are serious.
Despite focusing on attack and creating more chances ahead of the game, Southern United again failed to conjure up any clear chances.
That has given Fridge plenty to ponder ahead of his side's crucial home match against Wellington Phoenix at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Sunday.
''That [lack of goals] is a worry and something we need to work on this week. I don't think we are creating as many as I would like,'' he said.
''The final delivery into the box has not been as good as it should have been. You can't blame the strikers if you're not giving them the ammunition and getting them the ball in the right areas.''
• The Southern United youth team beat defending champion Nelson 2-0 at Logan Park yesterday. The Dunedin-based youth team is second behind Wellington in the national league with five wins from seven games.
