Raining goals as Reds down Strikers

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Adelaide United FC has continued to fine tune ahead of Season 9, registering another heavily one sided score line against a local Premier League club.

Adelaide United FC has continued to fine tune ahead of Season 9, registering another heavily one sided score line against a local Premier League club.

After an 8-1 win over West Torrens Birkalla on Friday, the Reds followed it up tonight with an 11 goal haul and clean sheet over Western Strikers.

Of the 11 goals, eight of which came in the second half, Sergio Cirio scored a hat-trick, Bruce Djite and Jake Barker-Daish both struck twice, and there were also goals to youngster Nikola Mileusnic, AIS duo Bright Appiah and Mark Ochieng, as well as an own goal.

If not for some superb saves from the Strikers keeper, the score could well have been more in the Reds- favour.

The lop sided score line may beg the question of whether Josep Gombau-s men are getting enough of a test less than two months out from the season, but the Spaniard would state the string of games against local clubs has proven invaluable as it has allowed the players to continue adapting and working on the playing method he wants to implement.

Pleasingly, Isaias Sanchez played the opening 45 minutes after recovering from a quad strain, Gombau fielding a strong starting line up that also included Cirio, Dario Vidosic, Marcelo Carrusca, Jeronimo Neumann, Daniel Bowles, Djite, Eugene Galekovic plus the combination of Osama Malik and Antony Golec in the centre of defence. Young left back Scott Nagel, who was part of the Reds- Youth Team last season, was also given a start after impressing against the Reds for Birkalla on Friday.

Strikers started well enough but when Cirio opened the scoring and Carrusca, Vidosic, Neumann and co pulling the strings in the front half of the pitch, it was only going to be a matter of time before the club from Adelaide-s western suburbs cracked again.

The Reds- final local hit out will be against Adelaide Comets on Tuesday 27 August at Santos Stadium.