Adelaide United were forced to share a point each with Wellington Phoenix at Coopers Stadium despite a flurry of second half chances.
Luka Jovanovic’s 55th minute goal started an avalanche of Reds chances in a dominant second half, but they couldn’t fashion a second to entirely cancel out Manjrekar Jame’s 34th minute opener.
Adelaide nearly opened the scoring in the first 15 seconds, when Jovanovic flashed a header wide after being found at the penalty spot by Jonny Yull.
The moment the Reds could have been really rued from the first half belonged to Yaya Dukuly, who should have opened the scoring in the 14th minute.
Dukuly was released by a millimetre perfect ball from Juan Muniz, and rounded Oluwayemi with his first touch before sliding the ball into the post with his second.
The frustration of the miss was compounded 20 minutes later when the Phoenix silenced the Coopers Stadium crowd via the heads of James and Corban Piper.
Stand-in skipper Kazuki Nagasawa sent in a brilliant free kick that Piper got his head to in the six yard box before taking a big deflection of James and past Reds goalkeeper Joshua Smits.
Muniz had his own dead ball attempt to restore parity not long before half time, but Wellington goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi was equal to his dipping effort.
Jovanovic fired a warning shot across the Wellington bows two minutes after half time, shooting straight at Oluwayemi after creating space for himself on the dribble.
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The Reds then took control of proceedings, with Dukuly and Jonny Yull in particular growing into the game as attacking presences.
Jovanovic’s long threatened goal arrived in the 55th minute with some help from Yull; the 21-year-old finding his fellow Aussie youth international with a quality through ball into the box, and Jovanovic responding by taking James and Oluwayemi out sharp footwork and clipping his finish into the net on his left foot.
The goal would have banished some demons for Jovanovic, who apologised to Reds fans after missing an open goal in last week’s 1-1 draw with Melbourne Victory.
Adelaide poured the pressure on the Phoenix after the equaliser, having the next six shots of the game.
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Bart Vriends pounded an effort over the bar, Ryan White couldn’t quite get a shot away from another brilliant Muniz pass, and Ethan Alagich blazed an effort wide from the left side of the box.
Wellington weren’t entirely supine however; Nagasawa and Nikola Mileusnic both put shots on target, while Bill Tuiloma sent a free kick directly at Smits.
Ultimately neither team could quite find the killer blow.
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The result meant that Adelaide couldn’t leapfrog Sydney FC into third place on the Isuzu UTE A-League table, although it does mean they go three points clear of fifth-placed Melbourne Victory.
The Reds’ next fixture is a trip to Central Coast Mariners next Saturday, while Wellington will host Perth Glory in the Distance Derby.
ALEX TOBIN MEDAL VOTES:
3. Jonny Yull
2. Luka Jovanovic
1. Manjrekar James
