'I’ll never go hiding': Taggart says he'll bounce back against Phoenix
Adam Taggart’s Brisbane Roar debut against Central Coast Mariners verged toward the stuff of nightmares – but he’s relishing a return to the scene of the crime this weekend.
The 25-year-old squandered two golden first half opportunities in Roar’s season opener on Sunday and saw a second half finish chalked off for offside upon Video Assistant Referee review.
However, Taggart would ultimately be rewarded for his persistence thanks to a neat swivel and finish in the 65th minute. That was his 40th goal in 93 Hyundai A-League games, and one that salvaged a 1-1 draw with the Gosford club.
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“I’d be lying if I was to stand here and say I wasn’t going to miss again,” he said.
“I’m prepared to miss in order to score. Anyone who understands sport knows you’ve got to put yourself in those positions.
“Something I can guarantee is that I’ll never go hiding, as tough as the game is or as bad as I’m playing… if I miss 20 chances I’ll still show for the 21st.
“I’ll show for my teammates and I’ll always want to take responsibility for my own performances.
“As a team I thought we played extremely well. The players I’ve got playing around me – Stefan [Mauk], Eric [Bautheac], Toby [Mikkelsen], Alex [Lopez]… are all absolutely unreal.
“It was a joy to play with them.”
One of John Aloisi’s headline off-season signings, Taggart will look to take full advantage of Roar’s impressive attacking form when they host Wellington Phoenix at Suncorp Stadium this Sunday.
The former Fulham marksman typically relishes facing the Kiwi outfit and has scored five Hyundai A-League goals in total against Wellington, including a pre-season strike in July’s 2-1 behind-closed-doors triumph.
“Wellington as a side seem to have recruited well,” Taggart said.
“They’ve definitely improved on what they were the last season or last few years. I think they’ll be a strong side.
“We know what they can do, we’ve already started looking at how we’re going to exploit them and their strengths and weaknesses.”
