Today is a chance to put that right and Southern United is very much determined to take that chance.
The side was thrashed 5-0 a week ago by Tasman United.
Captain Conor O’Keeffe admitted it was a poor performance which left everyone "very disappointed".
However, it was important to bounce back from that.
The team had broken down and worked on the problems — notably its defensive structure.
Being mentally ready for the game would be key, too.
While many of the older players in the squad had dealt with big defeats before, that was not always the case for the younger ones at this level.
Ensuring they had a clear mindset for today’s derby against Canterbury United at Logan Park Turf would be key.
"You’ve just got to have a chat with them and try to get them into a positive frame of mind," O’Keeffe said.
"One bad performance doesn’t mean you’re a bad player. Everyone has an off day.
"It’s just getting them to remain confident and have a bit of belief in their own ability and the team’s performance.
"You’ve got to revert back to the basics.
"We’ve got a game straight away to put it right.
"You’ve got to make sure you don’t dwell on the last game and bring that performance into the next one."
Consistency has been an issue with Southern this season. It has been brilliant at times and terrible at others.
Notably it suffered a 6-1 defeat by Team Wellington, before turning around and holding league leader Auckland City scoreless the next week.
That will be encouraging for its prospects of bouncing back today.
O’Keeffe said the inconsistencies were frustrating, as it had shown it could play well against top teams.
He felt mental preparation was key, ensuring the side got itself up for every game as it did for the Auckland City one.
That would perhaps be a little easier this weekend.
"You don’t really need any motivation.
"It’s a derby game. If you can’t get up for that against Canterbury I don’t know what will get you motivated, especially at home and they’ve got the better of us already this season with a close win.
"We’re just getting back to making sure we put in a good performance so hopefully that’ll be enough to make sure we get a result in front of our fans."
While Southern has secured just three points from its last five games, it remains in touch of the top four.
It is just four points behind fourth-placed Tasman United and is tied with Canterbury in eighth on nine points.
With eight games left in the season, the next month shapes as crucial across the league.
Kickoff today is at 1pm.
National premiership
Southern Utd v Canty Utd
Logan Park Turf: Today, 1pm
