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04Jan24
Spoils Shared In Thursday Night Thriller
by Jeremy Ruane
Adelaide United and Wellington Phoenix served up an Isuzu Ute A-League thriller on January 4, the home team twice coming from behind to hold the league leaders to a 2-2 draw in front of 11,187 fans at Coopers Stadium.
The home team were first to threaten in this highly entertaining encounter, Zach Clough's corner being cleared to Isaias, who evaded the unlikely challenge of referee Jonathon Barreiro - he was in the way - then wriggled past Ben Old before unleashing a shot which Alex Paulsen grabbed at his near post.
Seconds later, Luka Jovanovic and Clough worked a one-two in Wellington's penalty area before the former clipped a cross to the far post for the benefit of Giuseppe Bovalina, who sliced his attempt wide of the mark.
Wellington were denied a goal by the offside flag in the twelfth minute, the overlapping Tim Payne having strayed beyond the last defender on receipt of Costa Barbarouses' pass. But when they attacked again three minutes later, they took the lead.
Bozhidar Kraev played the ball inside to Alex Rufer, whose perfectly flighted angled pass found Lukas Kelly-Heald arriving beyond the last defender. The gangly fullback headed the ball across goal, just beyond the dive of James Delianov. Barbarouses was stealing in on the far post, anticipating the opportunity, and gleefully maintained his rich vein of scoring form to cap off a fine attack in the desired manner.
Adelaide were eager to get back on level terms in fairly short order, and should have drawn level just four minutes later. Jovanovic weaved an opening in the area before getting to the by-line, from where he pulled the ball back for the benefit of Hiroshi Ibusuki.
He steered his shot past the near post, and could only look on seconds later after Nestory Irankunda, who had taken on all-comers and brilliantly fashioned an opening from the by-line, undid his fine work by pulling the ball back behind all those red-shirted players who were arriving in the goalmouth.
It wasn't long before United drew level, however, the 26th minute seeing Ibusuki head home a thumping six yard header after being picked out by Clough's near post corner. Quite what Wellington's defenders were doing to prevent the opportunity, Lord alone knows, but their plans certainly didn't include marking the number nine - 1-1.
Kelly-Heald got the better of Bovalina before landing an angled cross on the roof of Adelaide's net two minutes later as Wellington looked to restore their advantage swiftly, to which the home team responded via overlapping fullback Ryan Kitto, whose teasing cross-shot prompted Paulsen to tip the ball over the bar.
Kraev unleashed a low drive straight at Delianov soon after, having been picked out by Nick Pennington's cross-field ball, to which United responded by forcing another corner - they had a mortgage on them in this match! Clough's latest set-piece delivery wasn't cleared, allowing Nick Ansell to head the ball back into the danger zone. Just as Ibusuki was poised to drive the ball home from six yards, Scott Wootton produced a brilliant clearance at full stretch to maintain parity.
That 37th minute opportunity was swiftly followed by further attempts from Ibusuki and Irankunda, who, in the 45th minute, produced more fine work on the right, taking on two in the penalty area, and ultimately forcing a succession of corners, one of which Clough delivered to the far post, where the unmarked figure of Bovalina headed across the face of goal.
Within a minute of the start of the second spell, Wellington regained the lead. Kraev charged down the left before checking and playing the ball back to Barbarouses, who changed the point of the attack by bringing Payne into play on the opposite flank. The fullback's cross wasn't cleared by Bovalina, and before anyone in red could react, Barbarouses battered the ball home from ten yards for his second goal of the game - 2-1.
Adelaide quickly regained the ascendancy in their pursuit of parity. Kitto switched play to Irankunda, who worked an opening with Alexandar Popovic on
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the right before seeing his cross blocked by Kelly-Heald. The resulting corner from Clough was only cleared to Isaias, whose rising twenty yard drive blistered the paintwork on the crossbar, so close did it come to hitting the woodwork.
United drew level again in the 55th minute. Popovic got the better of Kraev before linking with Clough, who brought Irankunda into play once more. He scorched to the by-line before pulling the ball back to the edge of the goal area where Ibusuki was arriving on cue. Paulsen stood not a prayer - 2-2.
Within three minutes, both goals survived scares. Kraev and Barbarouses carved out an opening in the penalty area, but no one in yellow anticipated the latter's back-heeled pass, which, had anyone done so, would have resulted in a certain goal.
United cleared their lines, and once more Irankunda was on manoeuvres, this time working a one-two with Jovanovic before delivering a cross which found Ibusuki arriving at the near post at pace. Finn Surman's splendid block denied the striker his hat-trick.
After Paulsen had grabbed a looping header from Ibusuki on the hour, Wellington's goal led a charmed life seconds later. Delianov threw the ball out to Irankunda on halfway, and he duly set sail for goal, weaving past a couple of opponents before inviting Ben Halloran to take over.
The half-time substitute duly evaded a challenge before battering a shot against the crossbar from twelve yards. Ibusuki's attempt to turn home the rebound was blocked by Wootton, prompting a Wellington counter-attack in which Barbarouses wriggled through three challenges, only to see his shot smothered by Delianov.
Back came Adelaide, Clough's 65th minute corner inviting a close-range header from Popovic to which Paulsen proved equal. Seconds later, Bovalina headed an angled cross from Kitto past the far upright, while in the 69th minute, another cross from Kitto was headed into the goalmouth by Bovalina. Ibusuki was first to react and set up Halloran, whose shot drew a stunning reflex save from Paulsen at his near post.
Irankunda was next to threaten to break the deadlock in the 76th minute, his twenty yard free-kick deflecting to safety off the defensive wall. Five minutes later, the youngster played in Ibusuki once more, but his rising close-range drive crashed against the post. The ball was cleared to Isaias, whose thunderous twenty-five yarder was turned round the upright by Paulsen.
The resulting corner was cleared, prompting a Wellington counter-attack which saw substitute Oskar Van Hattum taken out by Ben Warland. He was the last defender, which forced the hand of referee Barreiro - out came the red card, reducing the home team to ten men for the duration.
United continued to attack, however, and came close to being awarded for their bravery in the 87th minute. Ibusuki found a way past two opponents in the area along the by-line before pulling the ball back to Bovalina, whose shot was deflected to safety off Old.
Back came Wellington, the visitors looking to make their numerical superiority count on the scoreboard in the time remaining. Van Hattum's cross picked out Pennington, whose header beat the diving figure of Delianov but also went past the far post.
Seconds later, a teasing Pennington cross found substitute Sam Sutton flying in, and with the last kick of the game he unleashed a scorching volley which flew inches past the upright, ensuring the game would conclude with both teams deservedly getting something from a thrilling 2-2 tussle twixt two well-matched sides.
Adelaide: Delianov; Bovalina, Popovic (booked, 43), Ansell (Warland, 46 (sent off, 83)), Kitto; Tunnicliffe (booked, 41), Clough (Lopez, 84), Isaias; Irankunda (booked, 37 (Alagich, 90)), Ibusuki (booked, 90 (Duzel, 90)), Jovanovic (Halloran, 46)
Wellington: Paulsen (booked, 77); Payne, Surman, Wootton, Kelly-Heald (Sutton, 56); Al-Taay (Ball, 62), Pennington, Rufer, Old; Barbarouses, Kraev (Van Hattum, 82 (booked, 90))
Referee: Jonathon Barreiro
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