Strikers Ready For Olympic Derby
Words: Staff Writers
Image: Steven Gibson Photography/Brisbane Strikers FC
Brisbane Strikers coach Kevin A’herne-Evans is confident the Premiership contenders will stay in the title race against Olympic FC on Tuesday night.
The second-placed Strikers face third-placed Olympic at Perry Park with a win enough for Strikers to leap frog Moreton Bay United into top spot.
Strikers fought from two goals down to draw with Jets in their last outing in a top of the table clash and A’herne-Evans said he found plenty of positives in the performance.
“There was disappointment in the result, for sure, but pride in the performance,” A’herne-Evans explained.
“We knew that when we came together as a new group at the start of the year that we were only going to improve.”
“We are very confident with anybody that we play at the moment that we have the ability and we have the understanding in each other’s game”
Despite the Jets leading the competition for much of the season, A’herne-Evans suggested he still considers two-time Grand Finalists Olympic the benchmark for his side this year.
“I’ve always said that if we finish above Olympic then we’ll win the league and there is a part of me that still believes that,” he explained.
Strikers lost their previous meeting with Olympic 3-1 earlier this season but were without star striker Jheison Macuace and goalkeeper Michael Turnbull, who had linked up with eventual Hyundai A-League Champions Melbourne Victory.
Strikers also lost Grieg Henslee to a red card in the first half, however A’herne-Evans was explicit that responsibility for that result rested with him.
“I put my hand up for that. I set us up completely wrong,” he explained.
A’Herne-Evans said he would send his team out with a different tactical approach this time around.
“That’s the beauty of our side, with the squad of players that we’ve got, we’ve got so much adaptability that we can adapt to a number of scenarios,” he concluded.
This story originally appeared on the official Brisbane Strikers website
Fixture details:
Brisbane Strikers FC v Olympic FC
Perry Park, Brisbane
Tuesday, July 21
Kick-off - 7:00PM
Comments
Comment Guidelines: The SportsTG Network is made up of players, families and passionate sports followers like you who have a strong opinion about sport. That's great - we want you to have your say and share your thoughts with the world. However, we have a few rules that you must follow to keep it fun for all. Please don't be rude, abusive, swear or vilify others. Apart from some pretty serious sport sanctions, we also can ban you and report you if things get out of hand. So play fair and have fun, and thanks for your contribution.