The Reds do not have to wait long for an opportunity to put Saturday’s loss to the Mariners behind them.
Often, the best remedy after a loss can be to have another game in quick succession, and this is the situation the Reds find themselves in as they prepare to meet the Newcastle Jets in a town largely unfamiliar to most of the squad.
Having pushed the league leaders before being edged out in a five goal thriller, the Reds could be excused for feeling deflated as they left Bluetongue Stadium. Despite their gallant efforts, which saw them take the lead in the first half thanks to two goals in three minutes, the Reds were left with nothing to show for it. But part of the beauty of sport is that more often than not the attention turns quickly to the next game and a chance to right the wrongs.
After doing a recovery session in Sydney yesterday morning, the Reds were on a bus destined for the regional New South Wales town of Bathurst in the afternoon ahead of their clash with the Jets.
The match, which is part of the Hyundai A-League-s regional fixtures, sees Australia-s premier domestic football league come to Bathurst for the first time and adds yet another place to the list of locations around Australia and New Zealand that Adelaide United has played at.
With Bathurst being unfamiliar to the majority of the Reds- squad, Coach John Kosmina said much of Wednesday-s results would come down to how well and quickly the players adapt to the surroundings and the Carrington Park pitch.
“The match against Newcastle is going to be a tough one and that in itself will be interesting because of the fact that we-re in a place that I don-t think any of the guys have been before, except for me and maybe one or two of the others,” Kosmina said.
“Bathurst is a beautiful town but from what I hear the pitch isn-t the greatest and I wouldn-t expect it to be, so it-s a whole new environment and it will come down to whoever can adapt the best.”
Due to United and the Jets currently sitting eighth and ninth on the table respectively, Bathurst will host a game of significant weight as both teams attempt to push themselves up the table and maintain touch with the top six.
The Reds had their first training run in Bathurst this morning, which was followed by a short clinic with junior players from local club Panthers Bathurst. Adelaide United-s familiarisation session at Carrington Park will be held at 11.30am (AEDT) in final preparations for Wednesday-s 7.30pm (ACDT) kick-off.
For those Reds fans in and around the Bathurst region, tickets for the match are available through the Box Office at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre and can be purchased in person at 105 William Street, Bathurst, over the phone (6333 6161), or online at www.bmec.com.au.
