Set to make them the 2014 premiership’s enigma, Kinross-CYMS’ inexperience and inconsistency cost them on the road against Parkes on Saturday with the visitors suffering a 4-2 defeat to sit on the bottom of this year’s ladder after three rounds.

Shea believes with a huge turn-over of personnel throughout the hockey off-season, the only way for this young Kinross-CYMS line-up to improve will be through match practice.

“Time is what we need,” Shea said, his side without NSW under 18s representatives Chloe Barrett and Madie Smith on Saturday.

“It might not happen this year, but our progress is sound at this stage and certainly having Chloe and Madie in there helps.

“Hopefully at the back end of the year we’ll be more familiar with our structure and begin being more competitive against some of the competition’s better sides.”

Taking up a mentorship role with the club for the weekend, Meredith Bone made her 2014 debut in the Kinross-CYMS line-up against Parkes.

With Shea absent and Bone at the fore, the former ACT Striker couldn’t lift the young team to its first points in 2014 and now after three rounds Kinross-CYMS remains winless.

Shea believes Kinross-CYMS can become a force, but on-field leadership is lacking and against a Parkes outfit that’s shown impressive early season form, inconsistency never brings about points.

“If that’s the standard they’ve set (securing a 2-all draw versus Panthers in round two) then they’d have to be up the top of the competition. A 4-2 result probably isn’t too bad,” Shea said.

PARKES UNITED 4 DEF KINROSS-CYMS 2