Words: Steve Pitman & Michael Flynn
Image: Keith Eigeland/Football Queensland

Brisbane Strikers coach Kevin A’herne-Evans won't underestimate Brisbane City in tonight's Brisbane derby, despite his opponents opening round shocker against Sunshine Coast FC.

A’herne-Evans was at Sunshine Coast Stadium to witness his opponents 6-0 defeat at the hands of Fire, however suggested that score line gave a false impression of the contest.

He has warned his players it would be foolish to read to much into that result ahead of Strikers meeting with City at Corporate Travel Management Stadium tonight.

“It was one of those games, unfortunately for Brisbane City, that whatever they tried it didn’t really work”, said A’Herne-Evans.

“Their general play was actually okay.  They held possession and every time Mat Biggins got on the ball – and we all know Mat Biggins is arguably the best midfielder in the competition - he was getting the ball time after time and waltzing through the opposition.”

“It was just that execution in the final third that was letting them down, and by their standards their transition when they lost the ball wasn’t up to its usual level.”

Despite the disappointment of twice letting slip the lead in his side’s opening night 2-2 draw with Redlands United, A’herne-Evans said his players will be hungry to secure their first three points of the season.

“One of the benefits of conceding a last minute equaliser is you want to bounce back straight away. Had we won that 2-1 we could have been going into this game getting a little bit ahead of ourselves,” he explained.

He added that the “Old Boys” curtain-raiser could well galvanise Strikers, with several players from the club’s 1997 National Soccer League Grand Final winning team set to participate.

“They will appreciate the level that the players playing before them will have played at”, A’Herne-Evans said of his charges.

“We make a big deal of it as a club – that when you go out and play for the Strikers, while you are playing for yourself you are also playing for a club with a huge, huge history, a proud history and a history that we want to continue to grow,” he concluded.