Battle at the basement! Get ready for a fiery, full-blooded fight for points in a scintillating six-pointer at Skilled Park!
Battle at the basement! Get ready for a fiery, full-blooded fight for points in a scintillating six-pointer at Skilled Park!
As the Hyundai A-League 2011/12 season reaches its final straight, these two opponents go into this Sunday's game knowing that three points are absolutely vital.
While neither side has had the kind of season it would have liked, there is still everything to play for and the opportunity to climb the ladder is still a very real one, so make your way to Skilled Park and get right behind your boys in this battle to avoid the wooden spoon.
It's easy to support your team when they are winning weekly and sitting prettily at the top end of the ladder, but it is when times are tough that you can make the most difference. If ever your side needed a twelfth man, it is now, so raise your voice and give non-stop encouragement as your players bid to pick up an absolutely crucial win.
Gold Coast United might be looking up at the rest of the Hyundai A-League but they have reason to be confident of three points on Sunday, especially if they can reprise the kind of performance they put in the last time the two sides came together.
In December, they picked up a fantastic 3-0 win at Hindmarsh Stadium with a breathtaking counter-attacking display that belied their league standing. First-half strikes from Ben Halloran and Marceo Rigters gave the Gold Coast back-line a strong lead to defend, before Dylan Macallister wrapped up the points in the second period.
Miron Bleiberg's men should beware though, Adelaide have gotten the better of them once this season too. Then, a goal from Zenon Caravella and an Iain Ramsay beauty either side of James Brown's equaliser were enough to ensure that the points remained at Hindmarsh Stadium.
Further confidence for the home side will come from the fact their opponents are in the midst of something of a slump in form.
The honeymoon appears to be over John Kosmina, and his men have now gone a long and miserable six weeks without a win, after last weekend falling to high-flying Wellington Phoenix. Despite taking the lead through Bruce Djite, the home side conceded twice in the first-half and were unable to find an equaliser.
The Gold Coast will be looking to pour more misery on the Reds on Sunday in the battle of the Uniteds at Skilled Park.
Both teams have beaten the other already this season, so who will prevail in this final battle. Can the Gold Coast grab the victory that would boost their chances of avoiding finishing bottom of the pile? Get along to this sensational Sunday showdown and find out as another enthralling Hyundai A-League season heads towards its thrilling climax.