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The Reds fought back from a goal down to produce an emphatic win and end their opponents’ unbeaten start to the 2012/13 season.
Phoenix import Stein Huysegems continued his purple patch with his third goal in four games. The Belgian’s composed finish in the 42nd minute separated the sides at the break before an opportunistic goal to Jeronimo Neumann in the 55th minute levelled the scores.
Cassio took the game by the scruff of the neck in the 68th minute as he took the ball from the left-back position into the attacking third, before a sharp one-two with Neumann gave the 32-year-old time for a composed finish at the near post.
Neumann put the icing on the cake in the 85th minute after a deft through-ball from Dario Vidosic opened up the Phoenix defence, leaving the striker with an easy task to secure his brace.
United started the brighter of the two sides as they looked to force short inter-linking passes to hold possession inside their attacking half.
Iain Ramsay proved a threat down the left wing as he looked to expose his marker Leo Bertos. A number of long balls over the Wellington defence found the left-footer however his final ball was often left lacking as the Reds failed to produce a cutting edge in their attacking play.
The match needed a splash of inspiration and when it came it was no surprise that Barbadian Paul Ifill was on hand to deliver it. The winger’s chipped through-ball to Stein Huysegems beat the Reds’ offside trap leaving the Belgian with a simple task to beat Galekovic for a Wellington lead in the 42nd minute.
The Reds found their equaliser through an opportunistic goal to Jeronimo Neumann in the 55th minute. Carrusca’s attempted long-range strike was almost cleared by the Wellington defence only for the ball to deflect off Osama Malik and into Neumann’s path who on-hand to slide home his second goal of the season.
Cassio’s 100th game was rewarded with just his seventh league goal to give the Reds a 2-1 lead in the 68th minute. With the ball spread wide by Galekovic, the 32-year-old beat substitute Benjamin Totori for pace and burst into the centre of the park. Just as the wingback looked to be running out of steam he played a quick one-two with Neumann before sliding a neat finish past Paston at the near post.
Wellington’s chances were all but ended in the 77th minute as Ben Sigmund was shown a straight red card for a professional foul on Neumann as he ran through on goal. Bruce Djite’s introduction was the catalyst for the move as his flick-on header put the Argentine through on-goal.
An exquisite through-pass from Vidosic to Neumann in the 85th minute gave the Argentine his brace and cemented the win for United as they cruised to their third win from the opening four games of the season.
Goal(s): Huysegems 42’ (1-0), Neumann 55’ (1-1), Cassio 68’ (2-1), Neumann 85’ (3-1)
Adelaide Starting XI: Galekovic (gk) (c), Malik, Fyfe, Cassio, Carrusca, van Dijk, Vidosic, Golec, Bowles, Ramsay, Neumann.
Subs: Djite, Watson, Ferreira, Hall (gk).
Wellington Starting XI: Paston (gk), Muscat, Lochhead, Smith, Bertos, Ifill, Huysegems, Brockie, Fenton, Sigmund, Durante (c).
Subs: Totori, Boyd, Lia, Moss (gk).