Exactly one month shy of his 23rd birthday, Robbie Cornthwaite sent Hindmarsh Stadium into scenes of euphoria with a moment eternally synonymous with Adelaide United’s incredible AFC Champions League campaign in 2008.
After scoring an own goal in the first leg of the quarter final away to Japanese powerhouse Kashima Antlers which ended 1-1, Cornthwaite made amends in the second leg.
Playing right-back that September evening, the defender got ahead of his opposite number and met Cássio’s brilliant cross with a diving header in the 73rd minute to break the deadlock in front of 16,965 supporters.
The contest finished 1-0 as Adelaide advanced to the semi-finals with a 2-1 aggregate victory.
“I was playing as a right-back and Travis Dodd had sort of drifted inside and I found myself up high and Paul Reid had a long-range strike that was parried,” Cornthwaite reminisced.
“And once the ball went to Cássio I just saw a bit of space and decided to get in there, it was a great ball and the ‘keeper did me a bit of a favour for me, I headed it down, which helped.
“That run in the Champions League was some of the best moments at this Club for the players and everyone involved.
“It still gets talked about to this day and a lot of people always bring that goal up to me.”
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