Adelaide Comets flying high after coming from bottom place to make the Premier League finals for the first time in the club’s short history

THREE rounds into the Premier League soccer season, Adelaide Comets sat bottom of the table — six months on, the club is preparing for its first top-flight finals campaign.

THREE rounds into the Premier League soccer season, Adelaide Comets sat bottom of the table with no points, no goals and seemingly little chance of survival.

Six months on, the club is preparing for its first top-flight finals campaign on the back of an 11-match mid-season unbeaten run.

“Our pre-season was pretty good, but then in our first three games it just didn’t click,” coach Jim Karatzas says.

“We made a couple of positional changes and we tried to get a better balance in the team. There was no secret. Confidence breeds more confidence so we just kept going on from there.”

Comets formed as an amateur club in 1994 and entered Football Federation SA’s senior competitions in 2006.

Karatzas says making the playoffs in the club’s third top-tier season is testimony to its professional approach.

“We’re the youngest club in the Premier League, but there’s no feeling of inferiority,” he says.

“Any (young) club can get where they want, but they have to have a good philosophy, good administration and stability.

“If you keep chopping and changing, you’ll end up down the track not having got anywhere.”

Comets finished the season fifth after their form dipped and they registered just two wins from their final six games.

They face 10-time champion Adelaide Blue Eagles in Sunday’s elimination semi-final at Marden.

Karatzas says the influence of former Eritrean international Sami Tesfagabr will be crucial.

The defender-turned-midfielder has been a standout this campaign, scoring 10 goals in 26 matches.

Karatzas also praises the impact of veteran captain and former Adelaide United striker Elias Demourtzidis in guiding his young squad.

“We’ve got six starting players who are under 19,” he says.

“But we’re going to take every game as it comes and every team on its merits.

“I believe in our squad in any game on any given day.

“It’s 11 versus 11 and anything can happen.

“Last year we just survived ... but with most of the same players this year we’ve gone to another level.”