A strong second-half display handed Adelaide United a 4-0 win over FFSA National Premier League side Adelaide Comets at Marden Sports Complex on Wednesday night.
Danish winger Johan Absalonsen was instrumental in his Adelaide debut, grabbing a goal and an assist, while Taylor Regan, Mark Ochieng and Lachlan Brook also got on the scoresheet.
Reds fans got to witness new recruit Absalonsen impress in his first outing with the Club, while Head Coach, Marco Kurz, entrusted Nikola Mileusnic to lead the line up-front. Ben Garuccio also returned from injury to feature at left-back.
And the Dane showed great energy and urgency down the left flank, beating his opposite number at will before delivering a number of dangerous crosses into the box.
Mileusnic almost broke the deadlock on eight minutes. First, the 24-year-old partially connected with Ochieng’s cross, and as the ball scrambled out to the six-yard box he dragged his follow-up effort just wide.
Comets had a couple of chances of their own but could not capitalise due to wastefulness and a good save from Paul Izzo.
In the 21st minute, Absalonsen made it 1-0 with a clinical finish, after Ochieng’s cutback found the 31-year-old at the back post to complete an incisive attacking move.
In what was a largely uneventful first-half, Mileusnic nearly extended the Reds’ lead but his half-volleyed attempt was cleared off the goal-line.
At the beginning of the second-half, Kurz made two changes with the German bringing on youngster Lachlan Brook in midfield and trialist Daniel Mullen for fellow trial player Jordan Elsey.
Adelaide continued to dominate possession and control the tempo of the game but could not muster any genuine chances as Comets defended deep in numbers.
But that changed when Mileusnic volleyed over the cross after connecting sweetly with Garuccio’s perfectly weighted cross to the back post.
Kurz again displayed his tactical flexibility switching from a 4-3-3 formation in the first-half to a more pragmatic 4-2-3-1 system.
The Reds then doubled their advantage as Regan scored a glancing header at the near post off Absalonsen’s in-swinging corner.
Two-nil soon became 3-0 after Ochieng capped-off a strong performance, unleashing a stunning strike from distance.
The ball spilled out to the utility on the edge of the area from a corner allowing him to pick his spot and arrow his shot into the top left corner.
Brook gave United their fourth in emphatic fashion with a 25-yard daisy-cutter into the bottom corner, sealing a comprehensive win ahead of next Wednesday’s Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 clash against Newcastle Jets.
Match Details:
Wednesday, 2 August 2017
Pre-season friendly
Adelaide United 4 (Absalonsen 21’ Regan 61’ Ochieng 68’ Brook 87’)
Adelaide Comets 0
Venue: Marden Sports Complex
