Adelaide United visited Oakden in the penultimate round of the 2025 NPL SA regular season to take on the high-flying Adelaide City.
Outplayed by the postseason smokeys
A lot has happened since Adelaide United ran out 3-1 winners against Adelaide City in the Barrosa Valley in Round 10. Entering the final weeks of the season, only MetroStars had confirmed their pecking order in the top six, as Premiers, and Adelaide City entered their clash with the Young Reds with both teams separated by a point as they jostle for spots in the finals series.
Whereas Croydon and FK Beograd, two sides that have occupied the valuable second spot on the ladder, have begun dropping points, Vas Parhas’ City side has started peaking at the right time, and a Nicholas Bucco free kick allowed the hosts to take an early lead at Oakden, raising them to that invaluable position. Bucco was shortly substituted due to injury, sparking memories of City captain’s substitution when the two sides last met, which led to the Young Reds running away as comfortable winners shortly after.
This time, the Young Reds had a lead to overcome against a confident side that made a point of using their physicality to dominate their opposition, and a Matthew Dawber goal late in the first half made the task even harder. While the Young Reds tried to play their game, City’s pressing and the worn grass pitch meant that the Young Reds were unable to find their groove, as the Black and White found two more goals to ensure they enter Round 22 with confidence, and then the finals series, after beating Adelaide United for the first time since 2023.
Adelaide United were beaten by the better side in Round 21 (Image: Pagonis Photography)
Familiar faces do the damage in the second half
Every time Adelaide United clashes with Adelaide City, the interconnection between the two clubs becomes apparent. For the Young Reds, that fact came back to hurt them in the second half of their Round 21 clash.
Already two goals down, Adelaide United became the victims of their first goal scorer in the 2016 Grand Final, when Bruce Kamau, who is finally fit and starting to heat up in the 2025 NPL SA season, was able to drive into the box before placing the ball on a silver platter for Noah Smith, also a former Red, to score his side’s third.
Luis Lawrie-Lattanzio, another former Young Red, was able to put the cherry on top of an impressive Victory after finishing off his saved effort in his second attempt. Whereas the attacking players did the damage, Daniel Bressan was solid in the midfield. Meanwhile, Lewis Killoh and Yared Abetew partnered well in the heart of defence to make it a relatively quiet day for John Hall, all those players being part of Adelaide United’s developmental system in the formative stages of their respective careers.
A destiny-defining dogfight awaits
Despite dropping points in the past fortnight, Adelaide United will enter the last round of the 2025 NPL SA season with their finals destiny in their own hands. Sitting on 32 points in fifth place, the Young Reds are in a race with three other teams, West Torrens Birkall (31 points), Campbelltown City (30 points), and Playford City (29 points), for the last two spots in the top six.
Adelaide United’s match may look comfortable on paper, but it will be anything but that. Their opponents, Modbury Jets, are three points away from safety and require a win against the Young Reds and a favour from league-leaders MetroStars against Para Hills to retain their NPL status.
Maurice Natale’s side will be up for the fight, and as they proved against Playford in Round 21, they have the quality to do damage. The Young Reds, who are yet to record a second away victory of the season, need a result at Smith Partners Stadium to confirm their participation in a fourth consecutive finals series. With simultaneous kick-offs across the league on Friday night, it promises to be a rollercoaster ride for all teams involved in the finals and relegation races.
Adelaide United have control over their destiny but will be up against a desperate Modbury side in the final round of the season (Image: Pagonis Photography)
Full Time
Adelaide City 4 (Bucco, Dawber, Smith, Lawrie-Lattanzio)
Adelaide United 0
