Adelaide 4 Phoenix 1
KEY POINTS:
The Wellington Phoenix's defensive frailties were again exposed as they slumped to their worst defeat of the season beaten by a rampant Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium last night.
Despite taking a rare early lead, the Phoenix were handed a harsh reality check in slumping to their sixth loss of the season.
The home side went within a whisker of opening the scoring inside 30s but in less than three minutes golden boot front-runner Shane Smeltz gave the Phoenix the visitors the lead when he gathered a ball from Vince Lia on the edge of the penalty area and pushed a low left-foot shot inside the near post giving United goalkeeper Daniel Beltrame nothing to do but pick the ball out of the net.
The celebrations were short lived however when within 75s Adelaide were back to 1-1 as an attacking Jason Spagnuolo freekick was not challenged by the Phoenix defenders and Dez Giraldi beat goalkeeper Mark Paston - in for Glen Moss for the first time- at the near post.
The Phoenix then forced five corners in quick succession but their ineptness at set play was again exposed as they never threatened to score.
Smeltz was just wide with a header from a Daniel freekick after 25min before Ricki Herbert's side were cruelly punished when Adelaide's Nathan Burns scored when Paston parried a Cassio freekick a long time after the halftime whistle should have sounded.
The home side dominated the second spell.
From an early attacking freekick which Beltrame struggled to hold but eventually threw clear, Travis Dodd played long to Lucas Pantelis who got his foot up high enough to steer home for 3-1.
Burns missed a sitter before Spagnuolo was left to celebrate his first Hyundai A-League goal when he side-footed the ball into a gaping Phoenix goal after gathering a good ball from Kristian Sarkies in the 76th minute.
After some dour, low-scoring affairs in many of the earlier games, there were goals aplenty elsewhere too in round 10 action.
New Sydney FC ripped leaders Central Coast Mariners apart in winning 3-2 at the Sydney Football Stadium. Alex Brosque gave the home side a 2-0 lead and Tony Popovic grabbed a third for the hosts as they took a 3-1 halftime lead.
Central captain John Hutchinson kept his side in it with two long-range goals, one in each half.
Perth's Jamie Coyne struck to salvage a point in injury time at Suncorp Stadium as they drew 3-3 with Queensland Roar in which the home side's Simon Lynch scored twice, including one from the spot.
Newcastle Jets brothers Adam and Joel Griffiths scored in the eighth and 88th minutes as they upset Melbourne Victory 2-0 at the Telstra Dome.
