Adelaide United coach Carl Veart has been left celebrating an upturn in fortunes after his three changes to the team and tinkering with their formation helped the Reds arrest their losing streak.
After a run of three consecutive A-league Men defeats, Veart's changes made all the difference as Adelaide rolled the Newcastle Jets 3-1 on Friday.
Veteran winger Ben Halloran was a notable absentee from the side that lost 1-0 to Western Sydney Wanderers a week earlier while Hiroshi Ibusuki, Isaias and Jonny Yull all returned to the starting eleven.
Veart veered from his usual 4-3-3 formation, opting to team Ibusuki with teenage striker Luka Jovanovic in attack and it quickly worked with the pair combining for the opener on 14 minutes when the 18-year-old squared a pass for Ibusuki to side-foot home from close range.
“It was a complete change in our formation. I think we needed something a little bit different,” Veart explained.
“We’ve been playing this season with the wingers and at times they just weren’t causing enough trouble and getting into good enough opportunities for us.
“Hiroshi and Luka worked well together. I think it’s the first time they played as two nines; it was good.”
The change in formation also resulted, for the first time this season, in club legend Isaias starting alongside Ryan Tunnicliffe as holding midfielders, while Yull and Zach Clough played in more advanced roles.
Both looked dangerous all night and Clough got on the scoresheet on 68 minutes, making it 2-0 when he converted a spot kick after Jovanovic was brought down.
“I think with extra midfielders on the pitch, it just gave us that little bit more creativity, that little bit more balance with the way we wanted to play,” Veart said.
“When you’ve got Zach and Jonny Yull, and Isa and Tunners in there, they’re all very good on the ball and comfortable to take the ball in those tight areas.”
Veart introduced Halloran and Nestory Irankunda just before the hour and both were involved in the Reds’ third goal on 70 minutes with Halloran getting the final touch, nodding home from close range.
The United coach said the injection of pace and width proved to be a match winner with the game in the balance after halftime.
“The way we went about it tonight, it gave us more dynamic coming off the bench,” Veart said.
“A lot more speed coming off the bench so it allowed us the opportunity to stretch the game when Nestor and Benny came on and went back into their wide positions; they got us those extra goals.”
Jets coach Robbie Stanton felt his side had enough opportunities to take something from the match, particularly during a solid spell following the interval.
“There were moments where we created chances and if you take them, it changes games.
“But, really happy with the way we came out in the second half to fix some things and just that 10-minute period where we dropped a bit, that was disappointing.”
