Gold Coast United coach Miron Bleiberg felt it was his team’s turn to win after posting just their second win of the season following their resounding 3-0 victory over Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium.
Both sides came into the match at the foot of the table in desperate need of three points, however it was the bottom-placed Gold Coast who came out on top through two first half goals to Brandon Halloran and Marceo Rigters and a late third to Dylan Macallister.
The result was Gold Coast’s highest winning margin this season and only the second time they had kept a clean sheet.
Bleiberg refused to believe it was Gold Coast’s best performance of the season suggesting his side’s early goal was pivotal in gaining the upper hand to go and get a ‘good win’ in a battle between two teams severely lacking confidence.
“It was not that we were much better then Adelaide – both teams are on the bottom for a reason,” Bleiberg said.
“One of the reasons is that when you lose you start to lose confidence and every player instead of playing 110 percent of his ability plays 70 or 60, and that’s what happened to Adelaide.”
“It was a game between second-last and last, and it was obvious whoever scored first that it would put the other team deeper into a non-confidence mode.”
“Once we scored first that’s what happened to Adelaide, but it could have been the other way around exactly if they had scored first.”
Gold Coast’s strong first-half effort and 2-0 lead threatened to be unravelled when they lost first-string goalkeeper Glen Moss to injury just past the hour mark followed by defender Ante Rozic on 80 minutes, who was sent off for a second bookable offence.
However desperate defending and some phenomenal goalkeeping from back-up gloveman Jerrad Tyson who denied Adelaide striker Bruce Djite twice late on with reaction saves, along with a late strike to Macallister ensured Gold Coast left Hindmarsh with their first away win.
Bleiberg revelled in the good fortune and luck his team finally received pointing to last week’s 0-0 draw with Sydney FC as an example of the misfortune they have had to endure this season.
“I think last week we planted the seeds and played quite good against Sydney, we were just unfortunate,” Bleiberg said.
“When it’s your day though, it’s your day because (against Adelaide) we had a red card and had to play our second goalkeeper (Tyson), where two things can happen – he can be a hero or be zero.”
“It could have been that all the late chances Adelaide had if Tyson wasn’t in a good mode could have easily made it 2-2 or 3-2, so they were a bit unlucky that everything went our way.”
“Am I genius coach? No, it was my day today.”
