Head Coach John van ‘t Schip says he was encouraged by the added pace and mobility on display during Melbourne Heart FC’s loss to the Newcastle Jets on Saturday.
Head Coach John van ‘t Schip says he was encouraged by the added pace and mobility on display during Melbourne Heart FC’s loss to the Newcastle Jets on Saturday.
Led by Captain Fred, Mate Dugandzic, David Williams, Fred, Jason Hoffman and Maycon all featured in a revamped attacking unit for the Red and White, which boasted scant similarity to the side-s front third from last season.
Dugandzic and Williams in particular impressed, deploying their sheer speed and silky technique to great effect, constantly troubling the Jets rearguard as they combined with Fred and Hoffman to produce a number of clear cut chances.
While Dugandzic, the former Dinamo Zagreb youngster, managed to bag a double, Williams was unfortunate to be denied the chance to add his name to the scoresheet when the match official declined to award a clear penalty after he was brought down in the area.
Having overseen the sweeping changes to the Heart attack, van ‘t Schip said Saturday-s performance provided enough evidence to suggest the team is on the right track.
“(Pace and mobility) is we tried to introduce to the team over the off-season; both in the midfield and up front,” he said.
“And there were two or three occasions when Fred played a through ball to Jason Hoffman and David Williams, and there was one moment when he passed the goalkeeper when it could have easily been a penalty as well.”
While the penalty non-decision could have been a game changer, van ‘t Schip was ultimately left to bemoan the defensive lapses which cost his side at the stroke of both half and full time.
“The boys worked very hard, and in the second half, we played better than the first even though we created more opportunities as well, even though the last pass wasn-t good, or we had a chance on the break,” he said.
“The second half we deserved maybe more, but that-s not what it-s all about. We need to be more professional, more mature in those situations and that has cost us two goals.
“We had a lot of young players on the pitch and it was good for them to gain A-League experience but in the end we don-t have the points and that-s what it-s all about. “
