Adelaide United Assistant Coach, Mark Milligan, says the Reds going into the second leg of their Semi Final meeting with Central Coast Mariners a goal down can suit them.
Milligan, who fronted media at Coopers Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, gave his thoughts on the first leg clash three days earlier, saying the do-or-die nature of the next fixture can be to the advantage of United.
The first leg:
“It was obviously not the result we were after, but I think we took a lot of positives from the second half performance.
“They’re a good side.
“At the end of the day, we have to go now to Central Coast and win a game of football if we want to make the Grand Final.
“So the equation, for us, hasn’t changed a great deal with the result (from the first leg).
“We’re focused mainly on the performance and where we can get better and how we can execute a bit better, but generally, spirits are high.”
Fire and desire:
“In the first half, to be honest, we just didn’t really match their desire.
“And I hate sort of speaking about that because I think too much focus is on those sorts of buzzwords in Australian football, but because we didn’t match that desire, we weren’t able to execute, both with and without the ball.
“I think once we addressed that at half-time, we looked a much better side.
“We just needed to be a little bit more positive and have a little bit more belief.
“As I said, it’s a big occasion, they started very well, and they’re a good side.
“We just simply had to match that and, once we did, then our football started to come through.”
Underdog mentality:
“I think we are very much at our best with, I guess, a little bit of a sense of backs against the wall.
“We also have a lot of young players inexperienced in these situations
“And I think knowing that you have to go and win, and that’s the only outcome that is possible, I think really does help (the team) along their way.”
