Reds Head Coach Adrian Stenta addressed the media following Adelaide United’s 1-1 draw with Canberra United at Coopers Stadium on Saturday evening. The result extends United’s club record unbeaten run to nine matches.
Stenta on the draw and performance…
“I think it was a fair result in terms of, we had a lot of the ball and done, made a lot of possession passes, and probably more shots and things like that, but probably not as many on target as them, and they were dangerous on the counter. So both teams had some goal line clearances at the end, and some chances there. I think it was a fair result overall. And credit to Canberra for the way that they came, the plan that they had in place, and how they stuck to their defensive principles.”
Stenta on coming from behind…
“I said to the team that to come from behind, we haven’t had to do that too often, but we haven’t been able to do that too often in the last couple of years. So that was a positive. I thought the goal we scored was fantastic, disappointing, the one that we conceded from a set piece, especially after having quite a few set piece opportunities in the first half ourselves. And Canberra came into the game in really good form as well. I don’t think they’ve lost many games probably in the last two months either. So, yeah, lot of positives to take out of today, even though we didn’t get the three points.”
Stenta on resilience and mindset…
“It was pleasing, and especially because I thought our first half was largely positive as well. So to concede the way we did and when we did that sometimes takes the wind out of your sails. But in all honesty, we’ve been talking as a team all year about ignoring the scoreboard and just sticking to the way we want to play and continuing to do that no matter what. And if they do that, you’re happy as a coach, and I think they’ve done their jobs. And sometimes you get the result you want and sometimes you don’t, but it’s more about our mindset and mentality in games. And I feel like the players showed a lot of resilience today, which was good to see.”
Stenta on the impact of substitutions…
“We’ve got quality all over the park and in our squad as well. And you know, to have someone like Fiona and someone like Dylan coming off the bench is just a blessing, really. They’re starting quality players, so having that impact off the bench is really important. And I felt like both did a really great job when they came on and supported those that were still out there for the rest of the match.”
Stenta on defensive performance against Michelle Hayman…
“I think Michelle likes scoring goals against Adelaide over the season, so she probably always circles this game and looks forward to it. But I think in both games we’ve played them this year, we’ve done a great job on on Michelle, I can’t speak highly enough of our back line, because what we’re asking of them is not easy. And they just keep turning up every week, playing 90 minutes, really difficult to score against. I’m just so proud of the way those three players have played all season, and they were outstanding again today.”
Stenta on the team’s growth…
“I think it’s a sign of a team that’s playing with confidence. So I think it was round before the Unite round this year, where something similar happened against Wellington, where we conceded a soft set piece right before half time, and then we sort of didn’t really show much in the second half there and create much. So that was at the forefront of my mind, and I spoke to the team about that after the game. And I just think it shows how much we’ve grown and how far we’ve come as a team, because there’s a lot of similarities between those two games today, but we were much, much better value for the point today than we were when we lost that game.”
Stenta on the unbeaten run and team potential…
“I’ve got a pretty vivid imagination, so nothing surprises me, and I generally approach each season and each game by not putting a ceiling on the group. I think this team can achieve anything and everything. So, yeah, it’s been a really great turnaround, I think, and the credit has to go to the players. They’ve been awesome since day one. They’ve been outstanding, and I can’t speak highly enough of them, and a lot of those players were here last year as well. So it’s a real credit to them that they’ve been able to turn things around the way that they have.”
Stenta on fan support for the next home game…
“I really hope they take the opportunity to stick around. We’ve played in some games in Melbourne, where we’ve been the second game. And, you know, it’s not a great sight to see fans leaving early. We think that we’re worth watching. We think that we’re an entertaining team. And you know, one thing we can promise the fans is that no matter the result at the end of the day, we’ll always leave everything out there on the park. And so, come along and support the men’s team, and then stick around and stay for what should be an entertaining game, because we love playing in front of the crowd, we love playing at Coopers.”
