A devastated John van ‘t Schip blames panic and a lack of concentration for Nicky Carle’s late equaliser on Saturday night which robbed Melbourne Heart of their first win for the new Hyundai A-League season.
A devastated John van ‘t Schip blames panic and a lack of concentration for Nicky Carle’s late equaliser on Saturday night which robbed Melbourne Heart of their first win for the new Hyundai A-League season.
The Sydney FC midfielder, who netted the winner in last week’s clash with Adelaide United, scored in the 93rd minute at AAMI Park to earn his side a precious point for the 1-1 result.
It was a nasty case of deja vu for Heart who went down to Newcastle 3-2 in the opening match of the season to a deflected goal that was also scored deep in extra time.
“There was just a little bit too much panic,” said van ‘t Schip.
“Knowing how badly we need the three points, it feels like a loss. Everyone’s devastated.”
Van ‘t Schip believes Sydney should never have been awarded the corner which led to Carle’s goal.
There didn’t appear to be any red and white defenders within cooee of Karol Kisel when he blasted the ball over the bar from the top of the box, but referee Chris Beath spotted a deflection.
“From the bench it was clearly, in my opinion, not a corner … and you could also see from the reaction of the players that it was not a corner and the referee decided to give it,” van ‘t Schip said.
Veteran keeper Clint Bolton agreed with his coach about the corner but also that the Heart defence should have been able to cope with it.
“I can’t remember feeling this flat after a game,” said Bolton.
“That one sapped us, we needed to win. We just have to concentrate for the whole game.”
“It wasn’t a corner, I was right there … but all that aside, we’ve got to defend a corner better personally and as a collective.”
“It’s very, very disappointing.”
Meanwhile, van ‘t Schip revealed he’d failed in a bid to sign former Dutch international striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who’s without a club at the moment.
“I had some talks with the player, but he’s not going to come,” he said.
“So that’s for sure not going to happen.”
Van ‘t Schip said he expects Brazilian striker Maycon, whose debut goal for the club came so close to earning them the three points on Saturday night, to take confidence from scoring.
“A striker needs goals and for him it’s important to come in and score,” van ‘t Schip said.
“Hopefully he can take that with him and grow in his role as a striker.”
