Adelaide United winger Ben Halloran thriving as Reds reach FFA Cup final
BEN Halloran is thriving at Adelaide United thanks to his German coach embracing an Australian sense of humour. Now the Reds’ off-season recruit is plotting FFA Cup glory after helping his new club secure a final berth.
BEN Halloran is thriving at Adelaide United thanks to his German coach embracing an Australian sense of humour.
The off-season recruit scored his first goal for the Reds in an impressive all-round display during Friday night’s 2-0 FFA Cup semi-final success over Bentleigh Greens.
Halloran said the performance highlighted his growing confidence since being lured back to the A-League by United boss Marco Kurz.
But the winger’s first impressions of the German mentor differed from the managers he had encountered during five seasons playing in Kurz’s homeland.
“He’s not all that similar to the coaches that I had (in Germany),” Halloran, 26, said.
“He’s a typical German in the sense that he has the boys working very hard and he has a fair amount of respect from all the boys which is very important.
“At the same time he’s kind of embraced the Aussie style as well with a bit of chitchat and a bit of banter around the cabin.
“So far I’m liking Marco as a coach.
“What better way to start than getting into a cup final.”
Halloran’s creativity and pace wreaked havoc against Victorian National Premier Leagues side Bentleigh as the Reds secured their third final appearance in five years.
The wide man ghosted in at the back post to tap home United’s opener midway through the first half following good work by George Blackwood on the left.
Jordan Elsey’s close-range finish after the break capped a professional outing for the 2014 cup winner, which avoided an upset on the substandard Kingston Heath playing surface.
“Credit to the boys,” said Halloran, who previously played for German second-tier outfits Fortuna Düsseldorf and FC Heidenheim.
“We put a pretty good performance out on the pitch and I think we deserved to make the final.
“We’re looking to win it (the cup) and that can only be a positive thing for the club.
“From round one we said that among the team.
“It’s silverware and it’s massive for the club.”
Adelaide maintained its unblemished defensive record in this season’s knockout competition, recording its fourth straight clean sheet against the Greens.
Halloran, a Socceroos bolter at the 2014 World Cup, was enjoying regular game-time with the Reds after making just five J-League appearances in a six-month spell with V-Varen Nagasaki.
The Queenslander had been encouraged by United’s pre-season form ahead of its A-League opener against Sydney FC at Hindmarsh Stadium on October 19.
“There are positive signs,” the ex-Brisbane Roar and Gold Coast United attacker said.
“Across the board, we’ve got a fair bit of depth in the team and I think we’re looking pretty strong.
“We’re now focusing all our attention on round one and we’ll see just how productive we were in the pre-season.”
The Reds meet the winner of Saturday night’s Western Sydney Wanderers-Sydney FC semi-final in the October 31 FFA Cup decider.