Adrian Stenta spoke to United Media after Adelaide United’s hard-fought 4-3 defeat to Melbourne City in a thrilling contest on Sunday afternoon.
Despite a slow start that saw City race to an early lead, the Reds showed resilience, hitting back multiple times and proving their attacking threat against the league leaders. While Stenta was pleased with his side’s ability to find the net, he acknowledged that conceding four goals was ultimately too costly. With four games remaining in the season, the focus now shifts to fine-tuning performances ahead of next weekend’s standalone clash against Brisbane Roar at Coopers Stadium.
Stenta’s reactions following the narrow loss…
“The first reaction after the game is that we didn’t start as well as we would have liked, which gave our opposition a head start. We struggled to deal with what they threw at us early, but I’m really proud of how the team fought back against a quality opponent. In the end, we just fell short, and I feel like we can play much better than we did today, even in challenging conditions. I really hope we get another crack at them before the season is out.”
Stenta on conceding two early goals…
“It was really disappointing. They started brighter than us, and we didn’t rise to meet that challenge. It’s something we’ll look at closely and work to improve as we head into the final four games of the season. That said, I was happy with how we showed resilience to fight back and at least give ourselves a chance. Three times they pulled out to a two-goal lead, and you just can’t give good sides that opportunity to play from in front. In the second half, we were stronger, more physical, and played more to our identity, which was pleasing.”
Stenta on how proud he is to score three past a tough City side…
“Melbourne City haven’t conceded too many goals this season, so to hit the scoreboard three times was a real positive. We’re disappointed with the goals we conceded from set pieces, but on the other hand, we created a lot of danger from our own set pieces, which was a big tick. However, conceding four goals is too many in any game. While it was pleasing to put scoreboard pressure on them, we need to be better defensively to get results in games like this.”
Stenta on Zoe Tolland’s first Ninja A-League goal…
“I can’t speak highly enough of Zoe. She’s been with us for a long time now and is really starting to make her mark. That goal was a great reward for her effort. It was a fantastic header—really good technique to whip that in from where she was positioned. We’re asking a lot of her, and she keeps turning up every week, putting in strong performances. I’m super proud of her, not just for scoring, but for the way she’s played this entire season.”
Stenta on the return of Izzy Hodgson…
“It was fantastic to see Izzy back out there. She has been incredibly patient throughout her recovery, and this is a well-earned reward for all the hard work she’s put in behind the scenes. Having her back in the squad is a huge boost, and we hope she can take us to another level as she builds her way back. We’ll be patient with her return, but I have no doubt that she will play an important role for us in the run home.”
Stenta on next Sunday’s standalone match at Coopers Stadium against Brisbane Roar…
“At this stage of the season, there are no small games for us. Every match is massive, and we’re really looking forward to Brisbane coming to town next week. It’s a standalone match at Coopers with the youth boys playing before us, so we’d love to see a big crowd come out and support us as we continue our push to finish as high as possible on the table. We know we still have improvements in us, and a strong home crowd could give us that extra lift we need to get the result on Sunday.”
