Gertjan Verbeek was left content after Adelaide United’s 1-0 victory against Brisbane Roar in the Remembrance Round fixture at Coopers Stadium on Sunday.
Riley McGree scored his fourth goal in three Hyundai A-League matches in the 84th minute to settle the tight affair and seal a fourth successive triumph against the Queensland side.
The Reds have now won two league games on the bounce and climb into fifth place in the standings.
Verbeek said he was pleased his side were largely in control of the game, but lamented periods of the second stanza where Brisbane had golden opportunities to score.
“I think we did a good job the first-half,” the Dutchman told reporters in the post-match press conference.
“We were a little bit sloppy, but were totally in control and had some good opportunities, then you’ve to score.
“The second-half I think it was a good move to put James (Troisi) on the six position.
“… They could score also in the second-half so the control was not there anymore and then I thought halfway (during the second-half) we have to do something else.”
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Troisi was influential throughout the encounter, operating as a holding midfielder to start the game before being given the license to push further forward after half-time.
The 31-year-old went on a brilliant run which involved a one-two with Nikola Mileusnić before cutting the ball back for McGree to finish.
He subsequently won the Tomas Dale Medal for conducting himself in the most sporting manner during the game.
Verbeek explained that he started Troisi in the regista role due to the Roar’s defensive setup.
“That’s why I choose for James there because he is a good passer normally,” he revealed.
“And he is a creative player and he plays the ball forward, so he has ideas and you can talk to him about tactics.
“The first-half went how I thought it should be and I was satisfied about that. But the second-half I saw already they were doing it a little bit differently because the trainer of the opponent saw that James had a lot of time on the ball.
“So then you’ve to make another move again and we were the lucky team to score the goal.”
Adelaide United face Central Coast Mariners in Round 6 of the Hyundai A-League 2019/20 season on Saturday, 16 November at Central Coast Stadium. Kick-off is at 4.30pm ACDT. Live and Exclusive on Fox Sports, ABC, Kayo Sports and the My Football Live App.
