Marco Kurz felt his side’s lack of intensity and inability to effectively press Perth Glory were contributing factors in Adelaide United’s 2-0 loss.
The Reds made a lacklustre and were fortunate not fall behind when Joel Chianese hit the crossbar on 12 minutes at Coopers Stadium in the Remembrance Round clash.
But Adelaide grew into the game and were denied a penalty for a handball on Shane Lowry when the referee decided to remain with his original free-kick judgement after consulting the VAR.
Kurz felt his side struggled to get into the rhythm of the match and at times absorbed too much pressure.
Hurts to go down after 8 games unbeaten in all competitions. We regroup for Round 5. #ADLvPER #RemembranceRound
📰 Report: https://t.co/bgIKuz5pZl pic.twitter.com/bsVQ6G5clb
— Adelaide United (@AdelaideUnited) November 11, 2018
Andy Keogh scored on the rebound after Paul Izzo saved Alex Grant’s strong header from a corner in the 73rd minute.
The game was then put to bed on 90 minutes via a counter-attack when Fabio Ferreira assisted Chris Ikonomidis.
“I think in the ninety minutes we weren’t in the shape we expected,” Kurz said in the post-match press conference.
“I think the first twenty minutes we had a lot of problems with our compactness our goal was to stay compact and to press them.
“… I think in the end I think it was not our best performance and Perth did well.
“Also in the box defending they blocked three, four or five shots by us.”
The loss snapped Adelaide’s eight-game unbeaten run across all competitions.
Kurz said he was unsure why his players lacked intensity, before intimating the hot weather conditions further compounded the Reds’ frustrating afternoon.
He also mentioned that it was difficult for his side to break down a strong Glory back-five unit.
“At the start the players looked flat, but then we came good in the game and had a lot of power,” he said.
“But if you don’t stay compact and the weather was very hot and the opponents created a lot of chances, and you drop a little back in your sharpness in the game can be a reason.
“But I think we looked not bad in the second-half, we had a lot of power and applied pressure on them.”
Adelaide United face Wellington Phoenix in Round 5 of the Hyundai A-League 2018/19 season on Saturday, 24 November at Westpac Stadium. Kick-off is at 5.05pm ACDT. Live and Exclusive on Fox Sports and streamed on the My Football Live App.
