Two ‘silly’ goals have seen Adelaide United FC go down 2-0 to Melbourne Heart at AAMI Park tonight, the Reds missing a chance to move to the top of the table.
Two ‘silly- goals have seen Adelaide United FC go down 2-0 to Melbourne Heart at AAMI Park tonight, the Reds missing a chance to move to the top of the table.
A 5th minute Josip Tadic header and a 50th minute Richard Garcia strike did the damage, United Coach John Kosmina stating the Reds did not do themselves any favours with the way both goals came about.
“It was a bit of a charity event, we gave two silly goals away, and if you do that and don-t get one back at the other end it-s always going to be difficult,” Kosmina said.
“We gave the goals away at crucial times. The first one we had plenty of time to recover and I think at the end of the first half we probably made enough chances to at least go in even.”
“But we gave another one away early in the second half and it was always going to be difficult coming back from that and then the game just sort of died a natural death.”
The Heart have traditionally been fast starters this season and they started this game similarly as they set their sights on getting back into the top six, David Williams sending an ominous warning sign for the Reds just two minutes in as he struck a venomous shot a metre of the bar.
The Reds were under early pressure and Antony Golec, who was one of United-s better players throughout the 90 minutes, was called upon, doing well to close down a Heart thrust forward.
However, he could not prevent the first corner of the match and from the ensuing set piece, the Heart struck as a well worked move saw Fred whip in a pinpoint cross and Tadic did the rest, beating Eugene Galekovic with his header from close range.
The Reds enjoyed a promising little period when Dario Vidosic, Cameron Watson and Evan Kostopoulos began to put their stamp on the game, a sharp cutback from Vidosic bringing out the best in Heart keeper Andrew Redmayne to clear the danger.
Iain Ramsay was also proving a terror on the left as he looked to test youngster Jeremy Walker.
There was action at both ends as the half drew to a close, Galekovic saving a shot from Williams before Watson went close to scoring a spectacular debut Hyundai A-League goal as he flashed a fierce drive just wide of the top corner from distance.
Five minutes after the restart things became more difficult for the Reds when Matt Thompson dispossessed Kostopoulos, who was caught receiving a narrow pass with his back to goal in his own half, the Heart midfielder drawing a number of Reds defenders before finding an open Garcia who made no mistake.
In the 64th minute the Reds- cause was not helped when Vidosic came from the field with a bruised hip, Kosmina forced to adjust his formation as substitute Zenon Caravella tried to provide a spark off the bench.
Chances for two goal hero of last week Jeronimo Neumann were few and far between on a tough night for the Argentinean, his night ending when he was replaced by Jake Barker-Daish in the 77th minute.
With time ticking away, Jon McKain was introduced for his first appearance of the season and it was his well hit 80th minute free kick from 30 metres that almost pegged a goal back.
But it was not to be the Reds- night, Kosmina laying down the challenge to his players- mindset and resolve with United facing a massive next three games beginning with a trip to Gosford to face the Mariners next Friday night.
“We probably lacked a bit of punch tonight, it was always going to be difficult for Jeronimo, but at times we looked like we were going to do something but we never really went on with it,” Kosmina said.
“We-d had three games without a loss…you come here and it-s always going to be tough, we talked about it, we-ve got a tough month ahead and we need to toughen up a little bit mentally.”
Match Details
Melbourne Heart 2 (Tadic 5-, Garcia 50-)
Adelaide United FC 0
Referee: Lucien Laverdure
Crowd: 7,181 @ AAMI Park
Melbourne Heart starting line-up: 20.Andrew Redmayne (gk), 4.Simon Colosimo, 5.Fred (c) (22.Nick Kalmar 55-), 6.Patrick Gerhardt, 8.Matthew Thompson, 10.Josip Tadic (9.Dylan Macallister 90+1-), 11.Richard Garcia, 13.Jonatan Germano, 15.David Williams (19.Ben Garuccio 90-), 16.Aziz Behich, 25.Jeremy Walker
Substitutes not used: 1.Clint Bolton (gk)
Yellow Cards: Behich 82-
Red Cards: Nil
Adelaide United starting line-up: 1.Eugene Galekovic (gk) (c), 5.Iain Fyfe, 6.Cassio (4.Jon McKain 71-), 10.Dario Vidosic (7.Zenon Caravella 64-), 12.Antony Golec, 14.Cameron Watson, 16.Daniel Bowles, 17.Iain Ramsay, 18.Fabian Barbiero, 21.Jeronimo Neumann (19.Jake Barker-Daish 77-), 23.Evan Kostopoulos
Substitutes not used: 30.John Hall (gk)
Yellow Cards: Fyfe 21-, Golec 52-
Red Cards: Nil
