Adelaide United coach Joe Mullen is excited about the prospect of contesting what’s effectively a preliminary final against Queensland Roar in next week’s final round clash at Suncorp Stadium next Friday.
A win or a draw in the Round 21 fixture will earn Adelaide a place in the following week’s grand final against Sydney FC following United’s one-nil win over Melbourne Victory at Bob Jane Stadium on Sunday.
The win has edged Adelaide into second place on the standings on 34 points, two clear of the Roar who defeated Perth Glory one-nil away on Saturday.
Midfielder Royston Griffiths scored the first-half winner for Adelaide in what was a pragmatic rather than dominant performance against the Victory who will finish the season in sixth place on the table.
“We’ve probably known for the past three or four weeks that it’s going to come down to the last game,” said Mullen.
“What we’ve achieved with a good group of young players this year has been good already.”
“We’ve already put two or three players up into the A-League squad which is our main objective, but getting to a grand final is something the players would like to achieve.”
“Next week will tell – it’s come down to the last game.”
“It would be a bonus getting into a grand final.”
Adelaide’s goal was set-up in the 11th minute by a perfectly-weighted cross from the busy Michael De Bono on the right.
The Melbourne defence failed to clear and the ball fell invitingly for Griffiths whose shot from six yards slipped underneath Victory keeper Mitch Langerak.
With last week’s hat-trick hero Francesco Monterosso kept under a tight rein by the Victory defence, the hosts’ first chance to level-up came in the 24th minute after a neat exchange of passes between Aziz Behic and Evan Berger on the left.
The ball ran to the unmarked Mathew Theodore who opted for control and was closed down when a first time shot may have done some damage.
The Victory had the better opportunities in the second half and again the skipper was in the thick of it.
Theodore had a shot cleared off the line in the 55th minute and looked to have set-up the equaliser in the 77th when he centred hard and low into the box where Behic and Dimitri Hatzimouratis were waiting in acres of space.
One or the other should have scored from point blank range but they ended up getting in each other’s way and watched head-in-hands as the ball skewed harmlessly wide.
Mullen credits a concerted plan to get bodies forward for the crucial win.
“Our movement and will and desire to get in the box from wide positions has been good for the past six or seven weeks,” he said.
“Getting there in numbers has earned us important goals – one against Melbourne three weeks ago and one today.”
“It’s pleasing to get through the game and to keep the pressure on Queensland is good for us.”
“It takes a disciplined performance to keep Melbourne at bay but thankfully we were disciplined and we did work hard.”
