Melbourne Heart FC Head Coach John Aloisi was pleased with his side’s first pre-season match last night, as his side enjoyed a comfortable 4-1 win over the GNEFA All Stars in Shepparton.
Melbourne Heart FC Head Coach John Aloisi was pleased with his side-s first pre-season match last night, as his side enjoyed a comfortable 4-1 win over the GNEFA All Stars in Shepparton.
Goals to Golgol Mebrahtu, Dylan Macallister, Benjamin Garuccio and Mate Dugandzic gave the Red and White the win at McEwan Reserve.
“It was ok, I thought that the second half we started to play a bit better and move the ball quicker and create more opportunities, we found it quite difficult first half,” Aloisi said.
“But I was happy with the hit out and good for the younger players to get an opportunity to get out and play because a few of them didn-t play a lot last year and they-re getting a bit more opportunity in the pre-season now.”
Aloisi was pleased with two players who had interrupted seasons last year, including goalscorers Mebrahtu and Dugandzic.
“That-s one of the big bonuses or pluses that we-ve had this pre-season that Gol, in the six weeks that we-ve been training, has been training fully and he-s probably if not the fittest he-s been, ever,” Aloisi said.
“I-ve spoken to him quite a few times and he-s never felt so good [in the last 2-3 years].
“So that-s like a new signing for us, so if we can keep him going and keep on improving, he-s got the ability to score goals like he did tonight and we saw that last year, but he just couldn-t play week in week out and that-s why it-s important he has a full pre-season.”
Mebrahtu scored four goals for Heart last season, but Aloisi said that he would not should all goalscoring responsibility.
“It-s not only on Gol, all the players that are playing have to perform and he-s one of them,” Aloisi said.
“We don-t want to say that he-s our main player or the one that we turn to, because we have quite a few good players, especially going forward and we-ll be looking forward to all of them to performing well.”
Aloisi was also impressed with Dugandzic’s performance.
“He-s like a new signing, because he missed most of last season, he-s got incredible pace that other teams will fear and he showed tonight that he-s making good runs in behind and he did well, it was good to see him back out there,” Aloisi said.
Harry Kewell did not play a part in the match, but Aloisi hopes he will be ready to feature in a pre-season game soon.
“I have to think what-s best for Harry, we-ve still got quite a while of pre-season and I thought he hasn-t trained enough to play a game, so hopefully soon he-ll be able to play a game,” Aloisi said.
“He-s been looking good in training and been doing well.”
