Adelaide United surged back into the top six with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Wellington Phoenix at Coopers Stadium on Friday night, thanks to an 89th-minute winner from Archie Goodwin.
The Reds established a commanding 2-0 lead within just 12 minutes, momentarily climbing above Sydney FC into sixth position on the live Isuzu UTE A-League table. However, their advantage slipped away before half-time as Kosta Barbarouses and Isaac Hughes struck back in a dramatic first half that featured four goals.
As the match approached its conclusion tied at 2-2, Adelaide appeared poised to let an important opportunity pass them by in what was their final home game of the season. That was until Goodwin netted his 13th goal of the 2024-25 season, securing not only victory but also putting him at the top of the Golden Boot standings.
This win against Wellington marked the last home regular-season match for outgoing head coach Carl Veart. Despite a tense encounter against the struggling Phoenix, who sit in 11th, his side managed to secure a vital three points, pulling two points clear of Sydney FC and breaking an eight-game winless streak.
Looking ahead, Adelaide’s season will wrap up with away fixtures against Brisbane Roar and Melbourne City.
Meanwhile, Sydney FC will face the Newcastle Jets on Sunday before concluding the regular season with away matches against top-four contenders Western United and Melbourne City.
The race for the sixth position is set to be a nail-biter.
The Reds had opportunities to extend their lead further before the 30-minute mark; Mauk struck the woodwork, and Dylan Pierias alarmed the opposition on several occasions. However, with their two-goal lead intact, Wellington capitalised on their first two shots of the match, with Barbarouses and Hughes levelling the scores in a four-minute whirlwind.
FEATURE READ: ‘You won’t believe this’: Ange, Roarcelona and the 11th-hour U-turn that forged a club legend
ALMIGHTY UPSET: 410-day drought ends in Brisbane as 13th STUNS 3rd in major Premiership twist
The Phoenix, having not produced a single shot in the first half-hour, managed to find the net twice, leaving the Adelaide fans stunned.
Adelaide entered the match with the second-worst defensive record in the league. Their vulnerabilities in defence, which had haunted them throughout the 2024-25 season, re-emerged, causing their seemingly straightforward path to victory to become complicated once again. Network 10 commentary team’s Simon Hill and Daniel McBreen expressed their disbelief at the events of a wild first half at Coopers Stadium.
“It’s 2-2!” exclaimed Hill. “Incredible. It’s quite extraordinary.”
“Isaac Hughes getting the decisive touch; after Adelaide’s dominant opening thirty minutes where they could have scored four or five, we’ve ended up at 2-2. Mind-boggling!”
“Unbelievable,” McBreen added. “Earlier, it looked like this could be a rout. Two shots, two goals, and now it’s two all!”
After the high-octane first half, play settled into a more cautious affair in the second half, with no goals scored past the hour mark. The Phoenix created four shots in the first 15 minutes after the break, but it wasn’t until Yaya Dukuly found Ethan Alagich with a well-placed cut-back that Adelaide finally tested the Wellington keeper, though his shot was well hindered.
NIX NEWS: Phoenix outlines timeline for Chiefy decision with a name that ‘we’d be foolish not to consider’
Barbarouses nearly put the Phoenix ahead early in the second half and later assisted Corban Piper with a clever backheel pass. Although Piper’s shot was off target, Reds keeper Max Vartuli was alert and deflected it for a corner.
Jonny Yull, bent on making an impact, replaced Zach Clough in the 68th minute and nearly scored directly from a corner ten minutes following his entry—only prevented by Hughes’ clearance on the goal line.
Soon after, Yull threatened again with a fierce free-kick that Phoenix keeper Josh Oluwayemi brilliantly kept out of the top corner with a diving save.
Just when it seemed Adelaide would settle for a draw against the Phoenix, Goodwin emerged as the saviour, firing home from close range to secure a much-needed three points. Set up by Pierias, Goodwin’s effort put Adelaide back in front, and the Reds held onto their slender lead until the final whistle, snapping their eight-game winless streak.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
Fanpage: SportArena.com.au.
LiveScore – Live Sports Results & Odds.
