The Wellington Phoenix have come out on the wrong side of a five-goal scoreline for the second time in seven days.
Adelaide United have scored an 89th minute goal to beat the Phoenix 3-2 at Coopers Stadium in Adelaide.
The Nix had fought back from 2-0 down to be level at halftime, courtesy of goals from Kosta Barbarouses and Isaac Hughes.
Wellington looked more likely to take the lead early in the second half and appeared set to claim at least a share of the spoils before the Reds snatched all three points at the death.
Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano was frustrated with how the team started and finished the match.
“Just disappointed that we gifted two early goals,” Italiano told media post-match. “I felt as though we were slow to start. I don’t think we showed any energy at the beginning.
“Second goal I was very disappointed with. We had so many opportunities to get rid of the ball and structurally we were just all over the shop.
“We knuckled down after 20/25…and then we scored…and then all of a sudden we sprung into life.
“Halftime we addressed a couple of issues, and I actually felt second half we were quite good.
“We curbed a lot of their threats and I never felt for a moment that they were going to score, and then obviously we conceded.
“I felt as though that was a soft goal as well. Structurally we were a little bit out. We had a couple of players pressing when they shouldn’t have and we got exposed.”
Giancarlo Italiano made one change to the XI which started last Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Melbourne Victory with versatile defender Lukas Kelly-Heald replacing midfielder Kazuki Nagasawa, who moved to the bench. Young striker Luke Supyk also returned to the substitutes in place of injured midfielder Paulo Retre.
The Phoenix made a sluggish start and found themselves two goals down inside quarter of an hour.
Centre back Panagiotis Kikianis headed home Adelaide’s first corner of the match in the eighth minute to put the Reds in front before midfielder Stefan Mauk nodded in a cross from close-range a few minutes later.
The Nix could have trailed by more.
Josh Oluwayemi ensured they didn’t concede a third in the 16th minute when he made a great save to deny Dylan Pierias, who unleashed a stinging shot after dribbling his way into the Wellington box.
And Mauk was denied by the right-hand post soon after when Adelaide again sliced through the Phoenix defence.
The Nix made their first promising attack in the 26th minute when Alex Rufer dinked a pass over the top for Kosta Barbarouses, who drew a sharp save from Adelaide goalkeeper Max Vartuli. But Barbarouses was flagged for offside.
He pulled a goal back for Wellington shortly after the half hour mark when Japanese forward Hideki Ishige showed great strength to win possession from Reds captain Ryan Kitto and then slid a perfectly weighted ball through for Barbarouses, who slipped in between two Adelaide defenders and slotted past Vartuli.
It was the veteran All Whites forward’s 10th goal of the season and Ishige’s eighth assist.
Despite all of Adelaide’s dominance in the first 20 minutes, the Phoenix were level 10 minutes before halftime. Isaac Hughes headed home from close range after fellow centre back Scott Wootton nodded a diagonal ball from Sam Sutton back across goal.
There were no further goalscoring opportunities for either side before the interval although there was an all-in melee after a coming together between Mauk and Nix fullback Tim Payne, which saw both players yellow carded.
Wellington carried on the positive momentum after halftime and had the first chances of the second half.
Payne delivered a threatening ball across the six-yard box in the 49th minute but Adelaide were able to scramble clear. Wootton headed the resulting corner of the bar.
Kikianis cleared a shot off the line soon after when Barbarouses chipped a shot over Vartuli and the Reds defender blocked a shot from Lukas Kelly-Heald moments later.
Kosta Barbarouses then tried to emulate his long distance goal against Newcastle Jets earlier in the season when he won possession inside the Phoenix half, saw Vartuli off his line and then unleashed a shot from halfway. Unfortunately for Barbarouses, this time his effort drifted wide to the right.
The Nix also restricted opportunities down the other end of the pitch.
Adelaide had their first shot of the second half shortly after the hour mark but Wootton was able to block Ethan Alagich’s effort.
Oluwayemi was unemployed while his opposite Max Vartuli made a sharp save to keep out a toed shot from Corban Piper in the 67th minute. Rufer shot well over the bar following the ensuing corner.
The Reds looked the more likely to score a match-winner in the final quarter of an hour.
Hughes produced an incredible clearing header from his own goal-line in the 77th minute to prevent Adelaide scoring directly from a left-wing corner and Oluwayemi kept out a stinging free-kick from Reds substitute Jonny Yull seven minutes later.
The Phoenix’s resistance came to an end in the 89th minute when Archie Goodwin tapped home from a couple of yards out after Pierias’ shot-come-cross fortunately landed at Goodwin’s feet after being saved by Oluwayemi.
Adelaide saw out the remaining time to claim a crucial three points in their hunt for a finals place, while it consigned the Nix to successive defeats.
The Wellington Phoenix will return home tomorrow before heading back across the Tasman next week to play Brisbane Roar in their penultimate match of the season.
Wellington Phoenix: 1. Josh OLUWAYEMI (gk), 3. Corban PIPER, 4. Scott WOOTTON, 6. Tim PAYNE, 7. Kosta BARBAROUSES, 9. Hideki ISHIGE (25. Kazuki NAGASAWA 83rd), 14. Alex RUFER (c), 15. Isaac HUGHES (41. Nathan WALKER 90+3), 18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD (29. Luke BROOKE-SMITH 79th), 19. Sam SUTTON, 27. Matthew SHERIDAN (23. Luke SUPYK 90+3).
Unused substitutes: 35. Dublin BOON (gk), 5. Fin ROA CONCHIE, 39. Jayden SMITH.
Adelaide United: 13. Max VARTULI (gk),3. Bart VRIENDS, 6. Stefan MAUK, 7. Ryan KITTO (c) (8. ISAIAS 79th), 10. Zach CLOUGH (12. Jonny YULL 68th), 14. Jay BARNETT (9. Luka JOVANOVIC 87th), 19. Yaya DUKULY (17. Ben FOLAMI 79th), 20. Dylan PIERIAS, 26. Archie GOODWIN, 51. Panagiotis KIKIANIS, 55. Ethan ALAGICH.
Unused substitutes: 1. James DELIANOV (gk), 21. Javi LOPEZ, 44. Ryan WHITE.
Goals:
51. Panagiotis KIKIANIS (Adelaide United) – 8th
6. Stefan MAUK (Adelaide United) – 12th
7. Kosta BARBAROUSES (Wellington Phoenix) – 31st
15. Isaac HUGHES (Wellington Phoenix) – 35th
26. Archie GOODWIN (Adelaide United) – 89th
Cards:
6. Tim PAYNE (Wellington Phoenix) – yellow – 44th
6. Stefan MAUK (Adelaide United) – yellow – 44th
51. Panagiotis KIKIANIS (Adelaide United) – yellow – 52nd
29. Luke BROOKE-SMITH (Wellington Phoenix) – yellow – 85th
