Football: Horror night for Phoenix

The referee awards a second yellow card to Albert Riera during the match against Adelaide United. Photo / Getty

Adelaide United 3
Wellington Phoenix 0

This was a Boxing Day nightmare for the Wellington Phoenix, where everything that could go wrong did.

They conceded two awful goals, lost one of their key players to a red card, saw at least two legitimate penalty appeals turned down and were on the end of a humbling scoreline. It wasn't quite what they deserved - the visitors had probably shaded the match before Albert Riera incurred his second yellow card in the 56th minute.

It was a harsh decision but that is a fact of life in the A League. What is also a current reality is the Phoenix's inability to score goals and create clear cut chances, which adds to the pressure on their fragile looking defence.

This game turned in the space of seven minutes early in the second half. During that time Roy Krishna missed a glorious chance for the Phoenix, the referee waved away two decent penalty appeals and missed a clear foul on Roly Bonevacia on the edge of the Adelaide area, before producing a second yellow card for Reira. It was always going to be a long way back after that and Adelaide's second goal - a late Christmas present from Glen Moss - sealed the result. Earlier, just before halftime, Manny Muscat had scored a bizarre own goal, finding his own net from an improbable angle in an attempt to clear a Adelaide cross.

The Phoenix had the better of chances in the first half, in what was a cagey opening by both teams.

Half chances fell to Bonevacia and Manny Muscat and Jeffrey Sarpong worked an opening for Michael McGlinchey.

Given his status as a marquee signing, Sarpong has had a slow start to his A League career. There were moments against Adelaide when he started to look more confident, willing to take on his man but it was also his misplaced pass that contributed to Reira's second yellow card.

Responding to Muscat's unfortunate goal, the Phoenix started the second half brightly, forcing two decent penalty appeals - at least one of which had merit - and then the terrific chance to Krishna. The Fijian should have done better with the chance, after Troy Dsankas' whipped cross was spilled by Adelaide goal keeper Eugene Galekovic.

With the goal at his mercy Krishna opted for a low shot towards the near post, which was blocked by an Adelaide defender on the goal line. And that, in a game of few chances, was always going to be a turning point.

Minutes later the Phoenix were denied a free kick on the edge of the area - after the referee somehow failed to see a studs up challenge on Roly Bonevacia and then came Riera's red card. It was a lunging challenge from the Spaniard - after he was sold short by Sarpong's pass - but also a harsh decision by the match official, topping off a poor game.

The Phoenix continued to push but it was always unlikely and their fate was sealed by Adelaide's second goal in the 73rd minute, a horror moment for Moss. He completely misread Craig Goodwin's shot from wide out, allowing it to squeeze under his body and roll into the net.

Two minutes later Michael Morrone scored his first A-League goal (in 131 games) and Adelaide's third, after a bizarre sequence of play where the home side hit both posts before Morrone tucked in the second rebound. The new year can't come soon enough.

Adelaide United 3 (M. Muscat (own goal), C Goodwin, M Morrone goals)
Wellington Phoenix 0
Halftime: 1-0