Following his midfield heroics against Sydney FC, Jimmy Jeggo says scoring his first goal of the season in such an important game was ‘massive’ for him, but also for his team considering the timing of it during the match.
With Friday night’s game between Adelaide United and Sydney FC reaching boiling point in the 27th minute following the horrific challenge by Alex Gersbach on Jeggo, the Reds calmed their tempers and proceeded to take control of the match.
But the Sky Blues’ defence remained resolute throughout the opening 45 minutes, making United wait until the 62nd minute to go 1-0 up.
Jeggo initially struck a sweet volley from outside the box, which crashed against the crossbar, before the ball fell to him for a second time. The Reds’ No. 18 made no mistake with his follow-up effort, which looked destined for the back of the net irrespective of the slight deflection it took on its way in.
“The game was simmering a bit and there were a few decisions that didn’t go our way and a few that didn’t go their way,” Jeggo said.
“The first half-an-hour was quite even and quite tense and (the sending off) allowed us to properly get on top and really start to dictate the game.
“At first I was obviously (disappointed) because the first shot just missed, but it sort of popped back out quickly and I was still on the edge of the box.
“It had fallen to Dylan (McGowan) and I was just screaming at him to set it for me, but I could see he was eyeing it up as well. Lucky enough, he set it and my shot went in.
“It was a big relief because it was such an important part of the game where we were pushing for that goal.
“For it to go in was massive for me, but for the team as well.”
Jeggo also said he and his teammates were left disappointed by the way they reacted to going into the lead, but their persistence in being able to grind out the result will see them in good stead for the remainder of the season.
“Speaking to the boys, we’re a bit disappointed with how we responded to going 1-0 up,” he explained.
“We were a bit sloppy and allowed them back into the game. But once the scores were level again, we kept going and kept pushing, and eventually found a way to get the winner.
“It was a big moment for us, and going into it after getting our first win the week before, we knew we really needed another win to keep our momentum going and we’re confident we can take it on from here.”
Adelaide United will face Newcastle Jets in Round 11 of the Hyundai A-League 2015/16 season on Friday, 18 December 2015 at Hunter Stadium. Kick-off is at 7.10pm ACDT.
