After two regional games in Mount Barker and the Barossa Valley, Adelaide United returned to ServiceFM Stadium for a Round 11 clash against Modbury Jets.
Winning ugly
It is only natural that a professional football club’s youth set-up instils a positive football philosophy that is easy on the eye. The question for the young players in that system is always, what happens when things don’t go according to plan?
Adelaide United had to answer that question in Round 11 against a desperate Modbury side that is looking to ascend the ladder after a disappointing first half of the season. From the referee’s first whistle, it was clear that the Jets would make life difficult for the hosts, giving midfielders no time on the ball and double-teaming livewire Amlani Tatu any time he received it.
When a young team is not allowed to play its game, it can often crumble, but the Young Reds showed their maturity by enduring the hardship and not folding. Eventually, Andrioli’s men broke through with the opener and bunkered down, repelling multiple Modbury chances, especially after being reduced to 10 men due to Fabian Talladari’s sending off, to claim a hard-fought three points.
Caption: Adelaide United had to scrap for the three points against Modbury (Image: Pagonis Photography)
Burkitt returns to the scoresheet
In a scrappy match, a single moment of brilliance sometimes decides who takes home the points. After a scoreless first half, light on chances, Adelaide United’s clash against Modbury Jets seemed to require such a moment.
That moment arrived just over 10 minutes after the break, when Young Reds captain Sotiri Phillis elected to mix up his side’s play by bypassing his midfield and chipping the ball to Brody Burkitt, who was on the shoulder of the last Modbury defender. The ball was perfectly shaped to fall into Burkitt’s path, and his well-timed run into the box allowed the forward to get in position to beat Alex Woodlands with a neat finish from a tight angle.
This was Burkitt’s first goal since Adelaide United’s clash with West Torrens Birkalla in Round Seven, the last time his side played at Service FM Stadium. Burkitt is his side’s top scorer in 2025, with six goals, five of which he has scored at Service FM Stadium.
Caption: Brody Burkitt celebrates his goal against Modbury Jets Modbury (Image: Pagonis Photography)
A long-awaited second clean sheet
Whether it is a smashing Grand Final or a dominant performance capped by a Hamish McCabe hat-trick, matches between Adelaide United and Modbury Jets are traditionally high-scoring. With Modbury yet to fully click in 2025, it seemed unlikely that Maurice Natale’s side would engage in a shootout with Adelaide United in Round 11.
A tense, scrappy encounter meant neither team created a substantial number of chances. After the Young Reds opened the scoring, the onus was on the Jets to respond. Adelaide United’s settled backline worked well to protect Oscar Page in goals, but Modbury’s desperation rose as time ticked on.
While Modbury’s increased attacking urgency led to them conceding chances, the Young Red could not capitalise on them to seal the game. An unchanged scoreline meant Modbury continued creating multiple chances, especially after Fabian Talladira’s red card. Stepping in for Ethan Cox, Oscar Page was forced into a big save late in injury time to seal the three points for his side and, notably, its first clean sheet since their Round One win against Adelaide Croatia Raiders.
Caption: Frank Busasa and Sotiri Phillis celebrate Adelaide United’s win at the full-time whistle Modbury (Image: Pagonis Photography)
