Adelaide United Youth has fallen to a 3-0 loss against Campbelltown City at Jack Smith Park on Tuesday night.
It was a tight start to the contest but once the Red Devils broke the deadlock they were rarely troubled even if United dominated possession in the second-half.
Marc Marino opened the scoring for Campbelltown on 27 minutes, before two late goals in the 85th and 88th minute flattered the visitors and simultaneously quashed any chance of a comeback.
Lui Ditroia squeezed his finish home from a low cut-back before Noah McNamara inadvertently deflected a cross into his own net.
The defeat could see the Young Reds drop out of the top six if other results go against them and will now hope to bounce back against Sturt Lions on Saturday.
Airton Andrioli was pleased with the effort shown by his team in search of an equaliser, though acknowledged committing numbers forward inevitably left them vulnerable in transition.
“We were pushing in the game until they scored the second goal,” he said following the match.
“I think we sort of controlled the second-half and were pushing for an equaliser and then with that you obviously end up exposing yourself a little in those transition moments.
“But in saying that this will be a good few weeks where we have midweek games and the boys having to back up from not much recovery between games, and develop mentality and physically and that’s what they’re all doing at the moment.”
Despite the disappointment of the result, Andrioli was content with how the team acquitted themselves against the reigning champions.
He believed the Young Reds just need to tweak a few things in their attacking patterns of play after being limited to just two shots on target.
“I was quite pleased with the way the boys took the challenge,” Andrioli explained.
“Campbelltown lost their last game and they put in a big fight yesterday – they were desperate for the result.
“From my perspective I think the boys took the challenge and did quite well.
“It’s just a little but unfortunate that in the mid and final third I think we’re not as clinical as we normally are, and with that, the scoreline was a little bit blown out of proportion towards the end.”
