Melbourne Heart FC winger David Williams discusses Heart’s slight dip in form and looks towards this Friday night’s encounter with the Wanderers
There is no doubt David Williams arrived back on the Hyundai A-League scene earlier this month, making a significant impact in the first match of the 2012-13 season.
Just over 14 minutes into one of the most anticipated opening season encounters in recent memory – a tantalising Melbourne derby at Etihad Stadium on October 5 – Williams drove home the first goal of the new campaign.
The goal launched Heart to a pulsating 2-1 derby win – a match and result Melbourne Heart fans will reflect on with pride.
But, three weeks down the track, Williams is first to admit the Heart has gone a little quiet since the hype and height of that opening day victory, after picking up just one point in three matches.
With points and pride now on the line, the dynamic 24-year-old winger has urged his teammates to back themselves when they take on Western Sydney Wanderers at Parramatta Stadium on Friday night.
“We need to be confident in winning,” Williams said.
“I’m not saying we haven’t been in previous games, but maybe we took it too easy against Wellington.”
While Williams was absent for the team-s 1-1 draw against the Phoenix, the team were zapped of energy in Perth in round three, while against Central Coast Mariners on Sunday, the side didn’t quite have the cutting edge to unlock a stubborn and defensive Mariners outfit.
“I think the best games are played at a higher tempo; it wasn-t end-to-end stuff, troubling both goalkeepers, but I definitely think we deserved something out of it,” Williams said.
“We worked hard as a team and we were quite strong in defence; I think they got two clear chances, and one of them was a free-kick – some go in and some don-t – and I think we were a bit unlucky on the day.
“We worked very, very hard and we prepared very well for it. It just wasn-t one of our days.”
Williams is set to make his 70th A-League appearance this Friday night, but the focus will be less on individuals and more on a collective team effort against the Wanderers. For that to occur, Williams believes the Club must translate hard work on the training pitch into a strong match performance.
“I feel as though as a team collectively we do very well on the training park,” Williams said.
“It’s hard to talk about what we do at training because no one really sees – they only see the games.
“But I guarantee we will go through a run of form very soon that will get a lot of people talking about Melbourne Heart.”
