Adelaide United prevailed past Para Hills 2-1 in a pre-season friendly at The Paddocks on Tuesday night.
Yaya Dukuly and Nestory Irankunda scored either side of half-time for United, while Keshav Shrestha replied almost immediately after the Knights conceded the second goal.
It was a new look United line-up which contained a mixture of substitutes from Sunday’s FFA Cup 2021 Round of 16 win, senior players who did not feature and some United Youth boys.
The modified trial match consisted of two 40 minute halves which was agreed upon by the two teams prior to kick-off, and allowed the first-team players to increase their physical loads.
It was a lively start to the game with the State League One outfit up for the battle.
The Reds had several chances in the opening exchanges before Dukuly broke the deadlock in the 29th minute with a superb finish taken in clinical fashion.
The Reds doubled their advantage when Irankunda slotted his effort beyond Knights’ goalkeeper, Jordan Findlay.
But three minutes later on 65 minutes, the hosts responded after Shrestha burst through the defence and placed his effort past Dakota Ochsenham in goal, who otherwise had a relatively quiet night in goal.
Joe Caletti, Jonny Yull and Ethan Alagich were impressive during the encounter and brought a great deal of intensity and urgency to their play, operating between the lines and breaking forward at every opportunity.
Their dynamism enabled Adelaide to move the ball quickly in transition despite the bumpy surface.
Key moments
8’ | CHANCE! Dukuly collects the ball outside the box and unleashes a shot which forces the ‘keeper into a diving save.
8’ | CHANCE! Ansell’s attempt, which appears to come off his thigh, from the ensuring corner is cleared off the line.
29’ | GOAL! Alagich sends a ball down the line which Dukuly runs onto and arrows his shot on an acute angle into the far corner.
62’ | GOAL! Toure is released on the wing after some persistent play by Yull and the attacker squares the ball just behind Irankunda, who checks inside onto his left foot and dispatches a composed finish into the net.
65’ | GOAL: The Knights halve the deficit when Shrestha splits the defence and steers his finish home.
80’ | CHANCE! Alagich sees a close-range header brilliantly saved after Findlay produces a reflex stop.
Starting XI: 33.Ochsenham (gk); 44.Mollas, 4.Ansell, 22.Jakobsen, 45.McNamara (Lynch 20’, Vidmar 77’); 28.Juande (Irankunda 53’), 18.Caletti (Kikianis 77’), 55. Alagich; 37.Yull, 17.Toure (Bovalina 67’), 19.Dukuly
Subs: 60.Hall (gk), 42.Lynch, 39.Vidmar, 8.Bovalina, 11.Irankunda, 38.Kikianis
