Adelaide United climbed back into the top six thanks to an 89th-minute Archie Goodwin winner in an action-packed 3-2 triumph over Wellington Phoenix at Coopers Stadium on Friday night.
Adelaide led 2-0 after 12 minutes and had jumped above Sydney FC into sixth spot on the live Isuzu UTE A-League table, but saw their lead evaporate before half-time, as Kosta Barbarouses and Isaac Hughes answered back in a four-goal first half.
Level at 2-2 in the final moments of regular time, Adelaide looked set to spurn their chance to move back into the top six in their final home game of the season before Goodwin came to the rescue with his 13th goal of 2024-25 – a strike that gave the 20-year-old the sole lead in the Golden Boot race.
Friday night’s win over Wellington was outgoing head coach Carl Veart’s final home regular-season game in charge of the club, and despite a major scare against the 11th-placed Phoenix, his team ultimately prevailed to go two points clear of the Sky Blues and snap an eight-game winless run.
Adelaide will finish the season with away games against Brisbane Roar and Melbourne City.
Sydney FC, meanwhile, take on Newcastle Jets on Sunday before rounding out the regular season with away trips to top-four sides Western United and Melbourne City.
The battle for sixth spot looks set to go down to the wire.
Adelaide, in pursuit of a spot in the top six, raced to a two-goal lead in their final home game of the season as Panagiotis Kikianis and Stefan Mauk both found the back of the net by the 12-minute mark in the second game of Round 27.
The Reds had several chances to add to their early 2-0 advantage before the half-hour mark; Mauk hit the woodwork and Dylan Pierias threatened on multiple occasions, but the lead remained at two, opening the door for Wellington to answer back with two goals in a four-minute blitz.
The Phoenix hadn’t mustered a single shot through 30 minutes but scored with their first two shots of the night as Kosta Barbarouses and Isaac Hughes hauled the visitors back into the contest.
The Reds came into the game with the second-worst defensive record in the league.
Stung on multiple occasions throughout the 2024-25 season by their frailty at the back, their path to a straightforward win and back into the top six was once again impacted by a leaky defensive performance as Network 10 commentary team Simon Hill and Daniel McBreen expressed their perplexion at what they’d seen in a four-goal first half at Coopers Stadium.
“It’s 2-2!” Said Hill. “Wow. This is quite extraordinary.
“Isaac Hughes applying the finishing touch, and after a dominant opening half an hour for Adelaide United in which they might’ve scored four or five goals, we’re back at 2-2. Crazy, crazy stuff.”
“Unbelievable,” McBreen replied. “As we said earlier, it seemed like this could be a blowout. Two shots, two goals, two-all!”
After the breathless action of the first half, the clock ticked past the hour mark without either side adding to the scoresheet as a free-flowing, all-action affair transformed into a cagey tussle in Adelaide.
The Phoenix had four shots to Adelaide’s zero through the first 15 minutes of the second half before the hosts finally mustered an opportunity on goal; Yaya Dukuly’s cut-back cross was a good one to find Ethan Alagich streaming into the box and his first-time shot was on target, but well blocked out by the Wellington defence.
Barbarouses came close to putting the Phoenix into the lead early in the half and, in the 67th minute, turned provider for Corban Piper with a backheeled pass into the box; Piper’s shot was going off target but Reds keeper Max Vartuli was taking no chances, and parried the ball out for a corner.
Jonny Yull came off the bench to replace Zach Clough in the 68th minute and 10 minutes after his introduction, almost scored direct from a corner. The young Reds midfielder would have succeeded if not for Hughes’ intervention on the goal line.
Soon after, Yull threatened once again from another set piece – this time with a venomous free-kick that Phoenix keeper Josh Oluwayemi kept out of the top corner with a diving save.
Just when it looked as though Adelaide would end the game level with the Phoenix, up stepped Goodwin to fire his side to an invaluable three points. Set up by Pierias, Goodwin finished from inside the six-yard box to put his side back into the lead; the Reds kept their one-goal advantage until full-time to end their winless run of eight games.
