The Bulls return to Campbelltown Sports Stadium this Saturday to celebrate Arthur’s Birthday, as they prepare to face Melbourne City in a crucial clash for three points.
Ahead of the Arthur’s Birthday fixture, Chris Ikonomidis spoke to the media about the Bulls’ progress midway through the season.
Reflecting on the wet encounter against the Central Coast Mariners, Ikonomidis admitted the squad was disappointed not to come away with more, despite delivering a strong performance in difficult conditions.
“I think ultimately we were disappointed with the draw, given how strong the performance was. We created over 30 shots at goal,” Ikonomidis said.
“We definitely should have walked away from that match with more than a point. But taking the positives, it was a good performance and something we want to continue to build on.”
Despite the challenging conditions in Gosford, Ikonomidis was pleased with the way the squad adapted and handled the heavy rainfall.
“It was soaked — probably the most rain we’ve had in years. I think everyone did really well to adjust,” he said.
“Our game had been postponed the day before, only a few hours out. To go up there with the right attitude, play on a really difficult pitch and still perform well was pleasing. It was wet and tough, but we handled it well.”
After spending time on the sidelines through injury, Ikonomidis is gradually finding his way back into the squad and is enjoying being back on the pitch.
“I’m super happy to be back with the team. It was a frustrating injury that I picked up in Vietnam, so it feels great to return and contribute more and more to help the team,” he said.
With a big home fixture looming, Ikonomidis emphasised the importance of securing three points in front of the Bulls faithful.
“It’s a massive game this weekend against good opposition,” he said.
“We made a deal with ourselves at the start of the year that we want to win more home games. We want to bring people to the stadium and give them something to get behind, so we take these games very seriously.”
“Everyone can see how tight the top five or six teams are on the table. Three points would be massive for us — as it is for any team at this stage of the season. We’re focused on one game at a time and doing everything we can to collect all three points.”
