Adelaide gives the Wanderers a football lesson

Adelaide United have defeated a 10-man Western Sydney Wanderers outfit 2-0 at Coopers Stadium on Saturday evening with goals to Marcelo Carrusca and Fabio Ferreira. The home team dominated the match in all areas and should have racked-up a cricket score but were unable to shoot accurately.

The Wanderers, having made six changes for their third game in a week, lost skipper Nikolai Topor-Stanley in the 17th minute after he received a second yellow for unsporting behaviour when he handled the ball. Just minutes earlier he had been cautioned by referee Jarred Gillett for a late clip on Carrusca and his expulsion left his side in an unenviable position early in the game.

The numerical advantage changed Adelaide's approach and a good portion of the game was spent in United’s attacking third. Many a cross became a headache for Ante Covic and his comrades and a United victory was the only possible outcome in a match with a shot count of 26-1 and a possession count of 80-20.

As it has been so often this season it was Sergio Cirio and Craig Goodwin who kept firing the crosses in from Adelaide’s left side with Bruce Djite and Carrusca lurking in the box for the defining touch.

It wasn't long until it was found either as the latter tapped-in Cirio’s low ball towards the penalty spot.

Goodwin started the move for the Reds as he knocked a long ball down the left side for Cirio who turned around Brendan Hamill and ran to the corner post and delivered a ball that required the lightest of touches from Carrusca for a deserved lead.

Adelaide doubled its lead through Fabio Ferreira who combined beautifully with Carrusca early in the second half. The winger collected the ball in an unmarked position on the right, cut inside and, approaching the opposing defenders, played a soft pass to Carrusca who chipped it delightfully into the box for Ferreira to run on to.

The strike bounced off the left post and into the net, sealing the result for the home side.

For the remainder of the game the Reds kept attacking; firing shot after shot at the Wanderers’ goal.

Inaccuracy and good goalkeeping from Covic meant that the score remained semi-respectable for the visitors. The Wanderers’ misery was compounded when Nikita Rukavystsya was deemed to be offside after getting through on goal after 70 minutes. Replays later showed he was clearly on.

Adelaide boss Josep Gombau lauded his team’s performance, saying it was one of the best of the season so far but did noted that his team should have found the back of the net more often.

“I think that we played a very good game, we played very good football,” Gombau said.

“The percentage of shooting and scoring is not so good and this is something we have to work on if we want to be a team on the top.

“We are doing well and the players are doing well; they are hungry."

In the other dugout Wanderers boss Tony Popovic cut a forlorn figure as he tried to explain his team’s abysmal performance in the league which has now stretched to ten games without a win.

“I don’t think we can fault some of the football we have been playing, especially the last four games,” Popovic said.

“In the first twenty minutes, they were not better than us but the game changes with that send off and 70 minutes with ten men and with the boys playing their third game in a week: that’s difficult.

“The effort was tremendous but in the end it was always going to be difficult,” he said.

Adelaide united will play its next fixture on Friday night at home against Brisbane Roar while the Wanderers have a break from the league to take part in the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco.

Adelaide United: 1. Eugene Galekovic (C) (GK), 3. Nigel Boogaard, 4. Dylan McGowan, 8. Isaias (off 81’), 9. Sergio Cirio, 10. Marcelo Carrusca, 11. Bruce Djite (off 62’), 16. Craig Goodwin, 18. Jimmy Jeggo, 21. Tarek Elrich, 22. Fabio Ferreira (off 73’)

Substitutes: 2. Michael Marrone, 7. Pablo Sanchez (on 62’), 14. Cameron Watson (on 81’), 17. Awer Mabil (on 73’), 30. John Hall (GK)

Western Sydney Wanderers: 1. Ante Covic (GK), 4. Nikolai Topor-Stanley (C), 5. Brendan Hamill, 6. Antony Golec, 9. Tomi Juric (off 71’), 12. Nikita Rukavytsya, 13. Matthew Spiranovic, 16. Jaushua Sotirio (off 45’), 18. Lacopo La Rocca, 19. Mark Bridge, 35. Kearyn Baccus (off 80’)

Substitutes: 2. Shannon Cole (on 45’), 7. Labinot Haliti (on 80’), 10. Vitor Saba (on 71’), 20. Dean Bouzanis (GK), 2. Jason Trifiro