Ivan Karlović lauded his players’ ability to execute their high-pressing game plan after clinching a 3-2 win over Melbourne Victory.
The Reds produced an impressive performance following goals from Veronica Latsko, Emily Condon, and a penalty by Michelle Heyman put them in a seemingly commanding position at Marden Sports Complex on Friday night.
However, they survived a late scare after conceding two goals in the final six minutes.
Karlović said he was pleased for the most part with his side’s discipline and compactness when defending.
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“I thought in the first-half there were periods where we started to drop a little bit too deep and there were some spaces between the lines,” he said post-match.
“But we corrected that and what was pleasing was that we corrected it during the half, it didn’t need to wait until half-time to correct that.
“We knew Victory were going to come out in the second-half and look to try and level the terms.
“But I thought we rode that first five-minute period and then started to get control of the game and deservedly so score another two goals.”
The Head Coach was also delighted for Heyman, who opened her account for the campaign from the spot after she was fouled in the box.
“I think Michelle has been playing exceptionally well thus far,” he said.
“It’s not so much who puts the ball in the back of the net, it’s what they do off the ball and what they do for the team and Michelle has been doing a lot of that.
“Look it’s obviously fantastic for her to score and it will definitely give her confidence, but I think her form has been pretty good so far this season.”
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Despite United snapping a three-game winless run, Karlović intimated that the final minutes of play needed to be much better.
Ella Mastrantonio capitalised on a half-clearance on the edge of the area, and they switched off from a short corner allowing Laura Alleway to head home.
He suggested they cannot afford to have lapses in concentration when closing out games.
“I think the first one we failed to clear and we played it out to someone on the edge of the box,” he lamented.
“And the second one we let slip in a corner and weren’t picking up as tightly as we should and it’s something we need to look at.
“Because obviously the three points were great but we still need to make sure we finish the games off in the right fashion.”
Adelaide United face Newcastle Jets in Round 9 of the Westfield W-League 2018/19 season on Sunday, 30 December at McDonald Jones Stadium. Kick-off is at 4.00pm ACDT. Watch Live on Fox Sports, SBS VICELAND or the My Football Live App.
