Reds Head Coach Adrian Stenta shared his thoughts following Adelaide United’s 3-0 victory over Perth Glory. The win extended their unbeaten run to eight games and propelled them to 2nd in the table. Stenta reflected on the performance, key contributions, and areas for growth.
Stenta on the overall performance…
“I’m satisfied with the result. I think our performance didn’t hit the heights that maybe we’ve reached in other games this year, but it was really pleasing that we just put in a workman-like performance. We kept a clean sheet and scored a few goals as well. I still feel like this team has more potential in them, and for them to get the job done in the way that they did today was really professional.”
Stenta on the feeling of a clean sheet and unbeaten run…
“Yeah, it is a good feeling. We’ve kept a few clean sheets this season, but hadn’t had one in a while, so it was great to get back to that. It’s eight unbeaten now. That’s fantastic, but I still feel like there’s another gear we can go to. We could have been a little bit braver at times and played more to the style we want to see. But credit to Perth, they made it difficult for us, and overall, I’m really proud of the team for getting the result.”
Stenta on Erin Healy’s performance and goals…
“Erin’s been fantastic all season, and today it was her turn to score. We’ve had other players like Emily Condon, Fiona, and Chelsie stand up in previous games, and that’s what makes us so threatening – we have multiple players who can step up and tear a game apart. Erin’s work for the team is really important, and we’re seeing the fruits of all their hard work in preseason and during the season now.”
Stenta on the clean sheet and defensive performance…
“Keeping a clean sheet was really important. Perth is a very threatening team, especially from set pieces. They’ve scored a lot of their goals from set pieces, and they scored two set pieces and a penalty against us last time. So it was a big focus for us this week, and I’m really happy with how we defended their corners and free kicks. We were strong defensively, which meant that Claudia had a bit of a quieter game for once, which was good.”
Stenta on Dylan Holmes’ return to action…
“It’s going to take time for Dylan. It’s been over 300 days since her last game, and it was a significant injury, so we can’t just flick a switch and have her back to game mode immediately. But she’ll continue to build, and with every minute she gets on the pitch, she’ll be better. We really needed her experience when she came on today, and she did a great job.”
Stenta on the team’s celebration after the clean sheet…
“When we keep a clean sheet, the coaching staff buys donuts for the team. It’s not exactly what our conditioning coach wants to hear, but it’s something we’ve done for a while. The players enjoy it, and hopefully, we’ll have a few more donuts throughout the season. It’s a fun little tradition.”
