19,279 fans - a record crowd to watch a competitive professional football fixture in New Zealand - saw Wellington Phoenix edge Adelaide United 1-0 at Christchurch's AMI Stadium on 30 January to all but confirm a Hyundai A-League play-off spot. It was very much a case of winning ugly for Wellington, as Adelaide were the better footballing team throughout this scrappy affair, to which a blustery cross-field wind and hard pitch contributed. Defeat, however, ends the bottom-placed team's play-off prospects once and for all - they were mathematical at best going into this match, while victory for Ricki Herbert's team means they are within touching distance of becoming the first New Zealand combination to reach the play-off stages of Australian football's premier club competition since the Football Kingz first contested ye olde National Soccer League a decade ago. But aesthetically pleasing this was not! While Adelaide were able to string at least three passes together at any one time - something which Wellington struggled to do throughout proceedings - the visitors' initiative almost always exited stage left as soon as they got within thirty yards of the home team's goal. In short, they lacked the courage of their convictions, because to be blunt, Wellington were there for the taking again, their confidence having taken a battering following their most recent road trip, which saw them suffer a two-goal defeat at Perth Glory and a four-goal mauling - their heaviest loss of the season - at champions Melbourne Victory. That lack of confidence was reflected in Wellington's play, with Paul Ifill - who else? - the only player in black and gold to consistently give the visitors cause for concern during the match, aided greatly by the industry of Chris Greenacre, his front-running foil. Save for an unchallenged Daniel Mullen from one of a host of set-pieces with which the Adelaide defender should have done better, the first ten minutes or so set the tone for the spectacle, with the visitors enjoying slightly the better of the exchanges. The game was briefly roused from its mediocre beginnings in the thirteenth minute by some fine work down the right from Troy Hearfield, who get the better of both Scott Jamieson and Robert Cornthwaite before whipping in a cross for Tim Brown. Michael Marrone's tracking run proved vital for Adelaide's cause, the midfielder doing enough to prevent his opponent from capitalising on the opportunity, and sparking a United counter-attack, which had Wellington at sixes and sevens until Travis Dodd and Mathew Leckie got their wires crossed in the attacking third of the pitch. Half-way through the first half, the game's only goal came to pass. Adrian Caceres' fine first touch and fulminating volley brought the best out of Eugene Galekovic, whose fingertip save brought about a corner. Caceres' delivery to the near post wasn't dealt with by Adelaide's defence, and it was a case of "Ah, McKain, you've done it again!" as defender Jon McKain walloped the ball home from close range in the 22nd minute for his second goal in successive matches. Seven minutes later, the scorer's well-flighted free-kick from half-way picked out Eugene Dadi, who smartly turned Iain Fyfe and unleashed a twenty-yarder which flew narrowly wide of Galekovic's right-hand post. It was Wellington's last attack of the half, and they were fortunate to go into the break with their noses in front, as Adelaide twice went close to levelling the scores in the closing stages of the first forty-five minutes, and would have done so but for the reflexes of Liam Reddy. Lucas Pantelis' 39th minute cross picked out the unmarked head of Leckie, whose effort was tipped over the bar at full stretch by Reddy. The goalkeeper gave his defence a right earful regarding their

laxness, but little heed appeared to be paid, for just three minutes later, marking was again at a premium in Wellington's penalty area. Adelaide failed to take full advantage, however, Jamieson's corner being headed on by Mullen to Leckie, who headed the ball across goal to Dodd, some six yards out and with Reddy to beat. The visitors' captain directed his header towards the target, but again, the 'keeper kept United at bay. Some strong attacking work by Dadi sparked the second half into life three minutes after its resumption, but his effort lacked accuracy, as did that of Fabien Barbiero seven minutes later, after the Leckie-led Adelaide had contrived a well-worked opening, only to fail to exploit Wellington's stretched rearguard by not even testing Reddy when the opportunity presented itself - their lack of confidence in the attacking third defied logic! How Adelaide must wish they had a player of Ifill's talent to call upon in attack. He rampaged downfield from the resulting goal-kick before unleashing a rasping twenty-yarder narrowly past Galekovic's right-hand post, while Caceres thumped the ball inches past the 'keeper's left-hand upright two minutes later, after another Hearfield goal-kick had seen Greenacre set up his team-mate on the edge of Adelaide's penalty area. Galekovic then saved a twenty-five yarder from Brown after Lochhead, Caceres and Manny Muscat had contrived Wellington's first quality interchange of passes - four in total - in the opening hour of play! Soon after, Lochhead and Greenacre combined on the left, with the latter crossing for Caceres. Galekovic anticipated the delivery and gathered it well near the edge of his penalty area before sparking a counter-attack which culminated in Dodd setting up Adam Hughes for a shot which Reddy smothered low to his left - his first save of the half. After Greenacre had directed a twenty-five yard volley past the post following good work by Caceres and Brown, the visitors got the upper hand in the match as they pursued an equaliser, only to again lose their way in the attacking third of the field, a situation which made life fairly straight-forward for Wellington's back four and Reddy behind them. Unsurprisingly, given Adelaide's lack of confidence - little wonder they've only scored twenty goals all season! - in front of goal, it was Wellington who fired the next shot in anger, substitutes Leo Bertos and Daniel combining to allow the latter a chance to chip Galekovic eight minutes from time. The 'keeper gathered that effort comfortably, but when Bertos carved Adelaide open down the left seconds later, his cross zoomed across the bows of Ifill and into the path of Greenacre on the far post. Galekovic's save, on this occasion, was superb. Adelaide's number one was again called upon in the 89th minute. Reddy's throw-out was dummied by Lochhead to Ifill, who cleverly fed Daniel. His cross arced beyond the last defender for Bertos, but Galekovic smothered the substitute's shot low to his right. The visitors went all out for a last-minute equaliser - even Galekovic was found inside Wellington's penalty area at one point - but their hopes were twice dashed in stoppage time. Reddy tipped a Leckie volley over the bar, and from the resulting corner, substitute Francesco Monterosso shaved the post with a header which deserved better fate. The final whistle was met with a joyous roar from the masses, who deserved a better spectacle than was witnessed. Wellington didn't care, however - they had three priceless points which may be all they need to confirm a play-offs spot, and how they got them mattered not one whit! Wellington:     Reddy; Hearfield (booked, 90), McKain, Durante, Lochhead; Ifill (booked, 16), Brown, Muscat, Caceres (Daniel, 76); Dadi (Bertos, 67 (booked, 80)), Greenacre Adelaide:     Galekovic; Mullen, Cornthwaite (booked, 41), Fyfe, Jamieson; Dodd, Hughes (booked, 25) (Kostopoulos, 78), Marrone, Barbiero, Pantelis (Monterosso, 67); Leckie Referee:     Peter O'Leary