After a deflating loss, Adelaide United returned to ServiceFM Stadium in Round 19 to take on Campbelltown City in a vital six-pointer as the league ladder begins taking its final shape.
Bouncing back
After their worst performance of the season against West Torrens Birkalla in Round 18, the fixture did not get any easier for Adelaide United. Experience combined with intense pressing to disarm the Young Reds at Jack Smith Park and their Round 19 opponents, Campbelltown City, offer both those factors in spades.
Examining the lineups before the game, the gap in experience between the two sides was substantial. Instead of folding, the Young Reds were able to take the game to their opponents, who had defeated them earlier in the year, from the first whistle. Elvis Markov’s side even took a lead into half time thanks to a heavily deflected Alex Battistella cross finding the back of the net.
The Young Reds doubled their advantage within a minute of the restart after Jordan Elsey’s desperate lunge turned Malual Nichola’s cross into his own net. It was anything but simple from there, but this strong, confident start not only provided a stark contrast to Adelaide United’s last performance but also a solid platform to claim a positive result.
Adelaide United players celebrate their team’s second goal (Image: Pagonis Photography)
Embracing the chaos
A two-goal lead may seem safe, but for a youth team, that sense of security can be deceiving. Just after the hour mark, debuting goalkeeper Hugo Ng was sent off for a handball outside the box, which saw another young goalkeeper, Laris Cesko, receive his first senior NPL appearance.
The Young Reds shifted their focus to preservation and hitting their opponents on the counterattack. The storm had seemingly passed when Jordan Elsey received a red card, levelling the numbers in the 72nd minute. The complexion of the game, though, changed once again when Nicholas Graves pulled one back from a corner.
Minutes later, a penalty, given away by another debutant in Jerome Scarfo, saw Marc Marino level the scores, and from there it felt like the visitors were going to ride the momentum towards a win. Development is not just about football, but also about character, and the Young Red displayed that in the game’s closing moments, with both Bailey O’Neil and Alex Battistella stemming the bleeding and causing damage of their own, scoring superb individual goals to secure a crucial three points.
Bailey O’Neil celebrates an instant response to Campbelltown’s equaliser (Image: Pagonis Photography)
The kids are alright
The positives for Adelaide United from Round 19 go well beyond the club finding itself sitting third on the NPL SA table. The win over Campbelltown City was marked by numerous success stories in terms of player development.
In the heart of the midfield, Sajjad Nasiri and Ali Mohtashami held their own against experienced opposition in one of the first senior starts of their young careers. Meanwhile, Luka Blazevic played his role, both as a player and a mentor to his young teammates, to great effect as more responsibility is placed on his shoulders as he becomes one of the senior members of the squad.
Hugo Ng may have had a moment to forget, but he was solid between the sticks in his debut, and so was his replacement, Laris Cesko. In the wide areas, Alex Battistella played his best game for the club, with two goal involvements, and Mohammed Hassan is now regularly causing problems for senior RAA NPLSA opponents.
Meanwhile, if the match could be summarised by one play, it would be Jerome Scarfo, on debut, recovering his confidence after giving away a penalty and executing a similar tackle to perfection late in the game to prevent Campbelltown from scoring a third goal.
Additionally, the Young Reds had to adapt tactically from previous weeks, due to their opponents and availability, and successfully executed their team and individual tasks in a winning effort. The past couple of weeks are evidence that progress is not always linear, but Round 19 was a significant milestone for the work being done in the program.
Sajjad Nasiri, Ali Mohtashami, Mohammed Hassan, and Vinko Stanisic celebrate the win over Campbelltown City (Image: Pagonis Photography)
Full Time
Adelaide United 4 (Battistella x2, Elsey OG, O’Neil)
Campbelltown City 2 (Graves, Marino)
