Adelaide United snapped their four-game A-League Men winless run with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Macarthur FC at Coopers Stadium.
Friday night’s win lifts Adelaide back up to fourth spot, equal on points with Melbourne Victory who have three games in hand, and two points clear of Macarthur who have played one game less.
After a slow start the Reds had the majority of the chances over the course of the match and were particularly dangerous with balls into the visitors’ penalty area.
But it was Macarthur who had all the play early and their first chance arrived on five minutes when Craig Noone crossed from the left, finding Jack McGing at the back post, but his header went into the side netting.
On 26 minutes Ulises Davila darted through the Adelaide penalty area and cut back for Apostolos Giannou, but his close-range effort was blocked.
Adelaide wrestled some control of the match from the half hour and forced Filip Kurto into his first save minutes later when Alexandar Popovic lifted the ball over Macarthur’s defence for Craig Goodwin, but the half volley was well saved.
Lachlan Brook was lively for Adelaide and in the 41st minute, beat two defenders with a dazzling manoeuvre but fired just wide.
For all United’s pressure late in the half, they were eventually rewarded with a goal in a minute into added time.
Popovic stopped Davila on the edge of the area with a strong tackle, leaving Javi Lopez to burst forward. The Spaniard found Brook who drove towards goal before laying off to Goodwin who lofted a cross to the back post where Hiroshi Ibusuki nodded the ball past the onrushing Kurto.
The visitors had the first chance after the interval with Noone again finding McGing at the back post but his sliding shot was saved by Joe Gauci.
Just after the hour Josh Cavallo and Goodwin exchanged a quick one-two on the left with Cavallo shooting just wide and moments later and the two combined again, but this time it was Goodwin had the shot which skimmed just past the post.
The Reds were getting plenty of joy down their left side and on 70 minutes a powerful header from Popovic was denied by an equally impressive save from Kurto.
Macarthur almost found an equaliser with two minutes remaining when Davila slipped through substitute Al Hassan Toure, but the former Reds attacker’s shot from close range was kept out by Gauci.
RE-LIVE: ADELAIDE UNITED 1-0 MACARTHUR FC, AS IT HAPPENED
By Matt Comito for KEEPUP
Ibusuki’s header on the cusp of half-time is the difference at the final whistle as Adelaide take all three points at Coopers Stadium.
72′: SAVE! Kurto to the rescue (1-0)
A strong header from Reds substitute Nathan Konstandopoulos was destined for the top-right corner before Macarthur keeper Kurto put a strong left hand to the ball to stop it from hitting the back of the net.
46′: SECOND HALF (1-0)
Macarthur come out chasing the game in the second half at Coopers Stadium.
HALF-TIME: ADELAIDE 1-0 MACARTHUR
Ibusuki’s header is the difference between the two sides at the break after a first half dominated early by the Bulls before momentum turned in favour of Adelaide for the final 20 minutes.
45+2′: GOAL! Ibusuki strikes on the cusp of half-time (1-0)
Hiroshi Ibusuki goes bang to put Adelaide ahead with the final touch of the first half, rising high to nod Craig Goodwin’s cross off the left flank into the back of the net.
28′: CHANCE! Goodwin denied from narrow angle (0-0)
The home side won their first corner for the evening after Craig Goodwin’s left-footed strike from a tight angle, with Filip Kurto making himself big to repel the danger.
10′ Bulls chances flowing early doors (0-0)
Macarthur are on the front foot early, with Jake McGing wasting a magnificent Craig Noone cross with his wide header at the back post before Apostolos Giannou’s penalty claim from a Joe Gauci challenge in the box was thwarted by the offside flag.
1′: KICK-OFF (0-0)
We’re underway at Coopers Stadium!
