Dimi Petratos cut a frustrated figure at full-time at Apex Oval on Saturday.
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But while he was left disappointed by his penalty miss and inability to find the back of the net at Dubbo the Newcastle Jets star still saw plenty to like about his side.
Petratos, part of the Socceroos squad at last year's World Cup, was lively throughout Saturday's pre-season match against Sydney FC.
The striker was at the heart of most of the Jets' best moments but it wasn't enough to get his side the win.
He missed his side's biggest chance of the match, belting a penalty into the right upright on 15 minutes after Kaine Sheppard had been brought down by Sky Blues defender Ryan McGowan in the box.
"It was a very frustrating game, especially for myself," Petratos told the Daily Liberal post-game.
"It's only a pre-season game though so it's best to learn from it and we've got to finish our chances.
"At this stage of pre-season, I think we've grown as a team and a lot of the negatives we can turn those into positives during the season."
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Petratos is confident the goals will come for his side this season, largely due to the sheer amount of chances created in front of the 3800 fans at Dubbo.
While the penalty was the biggest moment of the game, Petratos also forced a smart save from Sydney goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne from an early free-kick, while he shot wide on a handful of occasions after patient build-up from the Jets midfield.
The likes of Matthew Ridenton, Nick Fitzgerald, and Kaine Sheppard all impressed going forward despite the lack of a killer pass or final product.
"I'm getting chances," Petratos said.
"I've just got to focus on finishing them. I'm going to get a lot of chances this season, for sure.
"We had a lot of great combinations going there and I think we should have definitely won today."
The Jets striker, who started his A-League career with Sydney FC back in 2010, was hugely popular with the fans in Dubbo.
He was a hit at Friday's Jets:PLAY clinic with hundreds of the region's juniors, having fun with the youngsters while passing on valuable advice while he and his teammates also posed for countless photos and signed plenty of shirts and caps during the visit.
"It's been an awesome turnout," he said.
"It's pretty much packed and there was a lot of support. It looks like they enjoyed it as well.
"It would have been good to see some goals but that's football."
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
