Tight defence gets Brothers the points
AS the Townsville Football reigning premiers, MA Olympic’s reputation precedes them.
It was an imposing factor for Brothers Townsville prior to kick off. But it made knocking off the heavyweights all the sweeter as Kevin Crawford’s men advanced in the FFA Cup.
The Brothers coach saw how quick Olympic were on the break as they heaped pressure on his backline.
But the underdog’s ability to withstand each attacking onslaught in the 1-0 win set the foundation for the result.
While Crawford admitted his men may have been a “little bit intimidated” by their Saturday night opponents, he was proud of the manner they were able to come out of the “testy” first 45 minutes and eventually lead from the front.
“The defensive piece builds the platform for the rest of the team. If you have confidence in the back four it allows you to express yourself more on the pitch,” Crawford said.
“They both committed to the tackle and with that, when two players go at it, there can be a flow-on effect from that. It can either unsettle a team or give them more impertinence.
“I think it unsettled us slightly, but the goal calmed us down and that allowed us to enjoy the play and we dictated for most of the game.”
Brothers skipper Matthew Richards was best on ground for his side courtesy of his hard work on the ball and decisive goal.
His prize was taking the team kit home to wash, as the club continue their search for a manager.
But he and his deputy, Matthew Miller, steered the ship from the front and back respectively to inspire their team into round three of the competition.
Crawford was particularly pleased with his defensive contingent, who not only kept Olympic scoreless but posed an attacking threat on the counter.
With success has come a willingness from the whole Brothers squad to buy into what the coach is selling.