Queensland Roar will look to draw upon miserable memories of last season’s Preliminary Final exit as they challenge Adelaide United this weekend for a spot in the Hyundai A-League Grand Final.
Queensland went down 3-2 in extra time to eventual champion Newcastle last year, with skipper Craig Moore especially full of anguish after being given his marching orders by referee Peter Green.
While Moore felt ‘extremely confident’ that his side was well placed to triumph over the Reds this time around, the defender had not forgotten his side’s failure in the corresponding fixture last season.
“I was in that dressing room after the game last season and it wasn’t a nice play to be,” Moore said.
“I remember saying to the boys after that game ‘remember what it feels like because it’s not nice and you don’t want to go through feeling that too many times in your career’.”
“It’s been spoken about, but our boys so far this season have been very professional, we’ve gotten stronger as the season has gone along.”
Moore claimed that the Reds were favourites for Saturday night’s do-or-die battle at Hindmarsh Stadium, but was full of self-assurance as he talked up his side’s chances of nabbing a maiden berth in the Asian Champions League.
“We’ve been really happy with our form of late, we finished the season off extremely well, so we’ll look to continue that,” he said.
“I’m sure Adelaide will bounce back because their last two performances were very poor.”
“If we play the way that we have been and they reach their top levels, I’m still extremely confident.”
“We’re going into this game extremely confident, not cocky, and not arrogant, you need to respect Adelaide.”
Moore, who played a key role in the Socceroos’ 2006 World Cup campaign and remains a steadying influence in the heart of Australia’s defence, likened the honour of a possible A-League title to his achievements while playing in the Scottish Premier League.
“It would be up there with all the other things as far as winning trophies at Rangers, there’s no better feeling,” he said.
“My ambition when I came home to Australia was to go out and try and win things again, so this season we’re in a position where that is possible.”
