Adelaide United’s finals chances are well and truly alive after coming from two goals down to defeat Perth Glory 4-2 in a thrilling encounter at HBF Park on Sunday.
On a baking hot afternoon in Perth the home side bagged the opening goal of the game in the 22nd minute as leading goalscorer Adam Taggart found the back of the net from close range.
Taggart then had his and Perth’s second just five minutes later as he combined well with Daniel Bennie before rolling the ball beyond Adelaide keeper James Delianov to make it 2-0.
Adelaide hit back in the 30th minute as Hiroshi Ibusuki volleyed home their first of the game from close range to make it 2-1 before Zac Clough curled a beautiful strike into the top corner to make it 2-2 after some excellent work by Nestory Irankunda.
The Bayern Munich-bound star then registered his second assist of the half, this time picking out Stefan Mauk with a inch-perfect pass as the midfielder then rounded the keeper to complete a remarkable turnaround.
Ibusuki then scored his second and Adelaide’s fourth shortly after half time as he curled a magnificent effort beyond the keeper to make it 4-2.
The result sees Adelaide make it three-straight wins for the first time this season and leaves them just six points outside the top six with a game in hand.
As for Perth, defeat leaves Alen Stajcic’s side sat last on the Isuzu UTE A-League ladder with Glory now seven games without a win.
Perth youngster Daniel Bennie tested Adelaide keeper Delianov in the 13th minute, racing down the right hand side before drilling a low effort towards goal which was well saved by the Reds’ custodian.
Bennie might not have scored on that occasion but he soon played a pivotal role in the opening goal as club captain Adam Taggart broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute.
Released down the Glory right, the 17-year-old found his teammate with a ball across the face of goal and while Taggart’s first effort was blocked on the line he drilled his second beyond Delianov to bag his fifth goal in four matches against the Reds.
The ever dangerous Nestory Irankunda then rifled a low effort towards goal in the 25th minute which was well saved by Glory keeper Oli Sail but before long it was 2-0 to the home side.
Combining to devastating effect once again, Bennie peeled off his marker inside the box and fed the ball into the path of Taggart, who cleverly turned his marker before slotting the ball beyond the keeper and into the back of the net.
However Adelaide clawed their way back into the contest in the 30th minute as Ibusuki volleyed home Ryan Kitto’s headed cross to take his tally for the season into double figures.
With the game now stretching from end to end in the Western Australian heat Bennie was then agonisingly close to making it 3-1 to the home side but was denied by an excellent stop from Delianov, who’s fingertip save kept his side in the game.
The game was then tied up before half-time as Clough curled a brilliant effort into the top corner from just inside the box after some excellent play from Irankunda.
Picking up the ball just inside the Perth half Irankunda raced towards goal, slaloming left and right as he had the Glory defenders on the back foot before laying the ball off to Clough, who cooly picked out the top corner in devastating fashion.
Adelaide then almost snatched the lead in first half stoppage time as Clough unleashed a stunning effort from the left edge of the box which beat Sail all ends up but thankfully for the Glory keeper the ball crashed back off the crossbar.
However a remarkable first half would end with the visitors taking the lead and Irankunda was at the heart of the action once more.
Picked out by a smart release from Delianov, Irankunda dribbled into the Perth half with the ball seemingly on a string before picking the perfect moment to play his pass into the path of the onrushing Mauk, who rounded the keeper before slotting home the fifth goal of a crazy first half.
It took the away side just four second half minutes to conjure up the sixth goal of the game and this one was arguably the best of the bunch.
A driven ball from halfway by Isaias found Mauk on the edge of the box who’s first time cushioned pass was then curled into the far top corner by Ibusuki to make it 4-2 to Adelaide.
Substitute David Williams then missed a glorious chance to make it 4-3 in the 67th minute of the game but somehow the Glory veteran couldn’t convert from four yards out with the goal gaping.
Irankunda then came close to bagging his first of the contest after racing clear of the Perth defence but the teenage sensation’s low, driven shot was well saved by Sail in the Glory goal.
The visitors had a few more half chances which could have well and truly killed off the home side but they held off any late advances from Perth to seal a vital win in the pursuit of a spot in this season’s Finals Series.
