Adelaide United Women Head Coach, Huss Skenderovic, is optimistic ahead of the Club’s away encounter with Canberra United in Round 11 of the Westfield W-League at Belconnen Soccer Centre on Saturday.
The Reds Women have built a rise in momentum in recent weeks, subsequent to two solid performances against Newcastle Jets and Melbourne City, and will be desperate to notch a succession of results before the end of the campaign.
It will be the second time Adelaide face Canberra United this season, after a 2-2 result in Round 5, and both sides will be gazed upon clinching a win this time around.
Last match day, the Reds boosted their confidence and defied the odds against the reigning Champions, Melbourne City, in a 1-1 draw, courtesy of a Racheal Quigley equaliser. Meanwhile, the Capital City outfit suffered a traumatising 6-1 defeat at the hands of Sydney FC.
Reds Women Boss, Skenderovic said he profoundly impressed with his side’s performance last week, exclaiming it was their best of the year.
“The game against Melbourne City was by far our best performance and it showed some good signs,” Skenderovic said. “They didn’t score from open play, but they did have a couple of chances at the end, as they pushed and the game opened up a bit, which is normal.
“Our general defending and the way we pressed the ball was the best all season and what we’ve been working on these last two weeks in terms of that transitional moment to where we need to be defensively, was evident, especially against a team like City.
“We held the ball for really long periods of time as well, and constructed great quality of football, hence the finished product of the goal was world class.”
Skenderovic believes the momentum can guide the Adelaide United Women to their first win of the season, in what will be a thriller, but Canberra cannot be underestimated.
“We have always been a confident team, and I think the momentum of having the same start to a game two weeks in a row, which has never happened before, has given us even more of that,” Skenderovic continued.
”With Canberra losing and copping 6 goals, and us coming off two good performances, I can already see it will be a mouth-watering, entertaining game.
“We will build upon that confidence, and our key message has been about building that momentum, so it will continue over the next couple of days and we are looking forward to playing Canberra United.
“Canberra will show us that respect, following our 2-2 draw last meeting where we should have won, but it will be a tough game as I do rate them quite highly, regardless of what happened to them last week against Sydney FC.
“But we will be a lot more confident having had two consistent games where we haven’t lost, and now we have to use that momentum to try and win our first game this weekend.”
Adelaide United Women will take on Canberra United in Round 11 of the Westfield W-League 2016/17 season at McKellar Park on Saturday, 7 January 2017. Kick-off is at 5:30pm (ACDT).
