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SYDNEY - The New Zealand Knights held off a late surge from Adelaide United to secure a 1-1 draw in their round 16 A-League soccer match in Adelaide last night.
Thanks to an 18th-minute goal from Chinese import Gao Lelei, the Knights led for most of the match before previously fifth-placed Adelaide awoke from their slumber in the final quarter and Greg Owens equalised in the 72nd.
Adelaide, playing before a crowd of 11,500, stormed home and should have won the match but Nathan Burns headed over the bar from point-blank range in the 87th minute, then Knights goalkeeper Mark Paston topped a standout game to tip an Owens shot wide in stoppage time.
It was the Knights' fifth winless match in a row and Adelaide's fourth.
The Knights were playing for pride only as they started their 16th match of the season with just two wins and two draws to their name, and a goal difference of minus-27.
But they showed more desire than Adelaide and deserved their 1-0 halftime lead.
Lelei, in his first start for the Knights, opened the scoring when he found himself in acres of space down the left, strolled into the Adelaide penalty area and gave goalkeeper Daniel Beltrame no chance from 10m.
Adelaide showed little on attack in a dull first hour of the match as Dean Gordon and Gregory Duruz did good work at the back for the Knights and Paston was rarely called on.
The hosts seemed to spark up when Brazilian great Romario, 40, was substituted in the 62nd minute.
Adelaide's Jason Spagnuolo hit the post six minutes later then they equalised when Romario's replacement Travis Dodd sent a pinpoint cross for Owens to head home.
- NZPA
