Negri Sembilan coach K. Devan believes his side will bounce back in the Malaysia Cup when they travel to Kota Baru to face Kelantan United in a Group C match today.
The Deer were far from their best in the 2-0 defeat to Melaka United, six days after winning the Premier League.
Devan said his team were still in celebration mode when they lost to Melaka on Sept 27.
"The short break between the Malaysia Cup and the Premier League probably affected my players. Usually, the Malaysia Cup starts a few weeks after the completion of the M-League," said Devan yesterday.
"We were complacent in our opening game.
"It is definitely a wake-up call. We have to learn from the defeat to perform better against Kelantan United.
"For Negri, it is a crucial match, although we have many more matches left in the competition.
"We want to collect three points before the international break as it will set the tone for us when the Malaysia Cup resumes."
In the Premier League, Negri defeated the Green Deer 2-0 in Kota Baru but lost 3-2 in Paroi.
"It will be a tricky match as both teams are hoping to record their first win tomorrow (today)."
Negri, however, could face problems as they will be without captain Zaquan Adha Radzak and midfielder R. Barathkumar, who are injured, today.
"We did not play to our ability against Melaka. Yes, we will be without two regulars, but I expect the team to get a positive result tomorrow.
"A win will put our campaign back on track as we hope to reach the quarter-finals," the 60-year-old added.
