Garuccio off the bench rescues a point for the Reds with a stoppage-time leveller against Melbourne Victory

United had the better of the contest and went into the break ahead through Brody Burkitt, only for Melbourne Victory to turn the game around with two goals in six minutes midway through the second half.

The Reds kept pushing, and against a Victory side reduced to ten men they found the leveller they deserved right at the death.

First half

Adelaide United took the game to Melbourne Victory from the first minute at Coopers Stadium, Juan Muñiz testing Jack Duncan with a left-footed shot from outside the box inside the opening minute. Brody Burkitt’s right-footed effort from the right side of the box was blocked in the fourth minute after a Muñiz pass.

The Reds kept the ball moving through the middle of the park. Luke Duzel’s right-footed shot from outside the box was blocked in the 16th minute, and Muñiz went close again on 19 minutes, Duncan saving his left-footed effort in the top centre of the goal.

The visitors had their moments. Charles Nduka’s left-footed shot from the centre of the box was blocked in the 23rd minute, Burkitt headed a Ryan Kitto cross wide to the left, and after Philipp Ziereis was booked for a bad foul in the 27th minute, Clarismario Rodrigues hit the bar with a right-footed shot from the right side of the box following a Keegan Jelacic cross.

Louis D’Arrigo followed Ziereis into the book in the 38th minute, and United kept pressing. Panagiotis Kikianis’s header from a Craig Goodwin cross was saved in the top left corner in the 40th minute, and Burkitt dragged a right-footed shot wide to the left three minutes later after another Muñiz pass.

The breakthrough came in first-half stoppage time. Muñiz delivered a cross following a corner and Burkitt finished from very close range into the centre of the goal, with the goal confirmed after a VAR review. Jelacic fired high and wide at the other end, and Adelaide led 1-0 at the break, a fair reward for a half in which the Reds were firmly on top.

Second half

United picked up where they left off, Mitchell Smith’s shot from the centre of the box saved in the bottom left corner by Jack Duncan within a minute of the restart after a Juan Muñiz pass, and Craig Goodwin and Panagiotis Kikianis both fired over. Melbourne Victory lost Matthew Grimaldi to injury on 56 minutes, Denis Genreau replacing him, and Sotirios Phillis blocked a Genreau effort before Anselmo de Moraes came on for Smith in the 61st minute and Brody Burkitt was denied by Duncan a minute later from Goodwin’s pass.

Victory levelled in the 64th minute, Jordi Valadon’s right-footed strike from outside the box finding the top left corner. Burkitt was booked for a foul in the 68th minute, and two minutes later Keegan Jelacic turned in a Clarismario Rodrigues cross from very close range to make it 2-1. The Reds had dominated, and they were suddenly behind.

Ryan Kitto’s left-footed effort from distance just missed the top left corner in the 73rd minute, and Kikianis and Charles Nduka were both booked in the 76th after an argument. Victory made a double change, Xavier Stella and Michael Ghossaini on for Louis D’Arrigo and Rodrigues, before Airton Andrioli turned to his bench in the 79th minute, sending on Harry Crawford, Joey Garuccio and Amlani Tatu for Goodwin, Burkitt and Luke Duzel.

Anselmo headed a Crawford cross high and wide, and Victory were reduced to ten men in the 86th minute when Philipp Ziereis was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Anselmo. Muñiz was denied by Duncan from distance, Genreau and Phillis were booked, and Fabian Talladira replaced Jay Barnett as ten minutes of added time were announced.

Muñiz and Anselmo both fired over as United kept pushing, and the reward came deep into stoppage time. Kitto delivered a cross and Garuccio, on the pitch for barely 20 minutes, finished left-footed from the centre of the box to make it 2-2. Kitto had a late shot blocked, but the point was earned by a side that refused to lie down.

Full time

This was a point United earned the hard way. The Reds controlled the contest, finishing with 58.1 per cent possession, 19 shots to seven, eight on target to two and eight corners to two, while Jack Duncan made six saves and the visitors scored with both of their shots on target. That is a lot of territory and effort to take one point from, and with United now five games without a win and points dropped from a winning position once again, the six minutes in which the game turned are what the Club will want to put right.

Real credit belongs to the response. Airton Andrioli’s changes made their mark, and against opponents with the better record in this fixture (32 wins to Adelaide’s 22, with 15 draws before this meeting), that character matters. The control, the chances created and the refusal to settle for defeat are what the Reds can build on.

Match details

Next match

United head to Western Sydney next, taking on Western Sydney Wanderers FC at CommBank Stadium on Friday 20 November, with kick-off at 7:40pm local time, as the Reds look for a first win of the season to climb off the bottom of the ladder.