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Brazilian striker Cristiano scored a second-half double as Adelaide cruised to a 3-0 A-League win over Wellington at Hindmarsh Stadium tonight.
Left-sided midfielder Lucas Pantelis gave the home side a dream start when he collected a right wing cross from Brazilian fullback Alemao in the 15th minute and finished in style from just inside the penalty area.
Then Cristiano stole the show in the second half with close range strikes in the 48th and 60th minutes to seal a win that kept United on pace with A-League leaders Melbourne.
Former Dutch first division striker Cristiano fluffed his chance for a hattrick in the 68th minute when was put clean through the Phoenix defence but scuffed his chip shot wide with only keeper Glen Moss to beat.
Pantelis’ first goal of the season capped off Adelaide’s domination of possession as the Phoenix missed spearhead Shane Smeltz, laid low by the flu.
Former Socceroo Paul Agostino came close to his first A-League goal for almost a year when he drove an angled shot from 12 metres across goal in the 43rd minute after captain Travis Dodd had driven just wide from 20 metres in the 36th minute.
Wellington caused only a few anxious moments in Adelaide’s penalty area late in the first half with Troy Hearfield scuffing a good chance at Adelaide keeper Eugene Galekovic in the 18th minute.
Galekovic also took no chances when he punched a swinging corner from Lei Lei Gao out for a corner in the 40th minute.
However, he was forced to make a crucial save low to his right in the 47th minute to deny Phoenix midfielder Leo Bertos after Adelaide’s defence coughed up the ball just outside its penalty area.
But a minute later Cristiano pounced to prod in his first A-League goal after Moss had barely parried a stinging shot from United midfielder Paul Reid.
Reid carved out the opening for Adelaide’s third goal as his pass found Pantelis slipping behind the Phoenix line on the left and the tidy left footer teed up an easy tap in for Cristiano lurking just four metres out from the Phoenix goal.
Phoenix coach Ricky Herbert rang the changes after half time with veteran striker Vaughn Coveny replacing Adam Kwasnik and Daniel coming on for Gao, but it was to no avail.
Adelaide United coach Aurelio Vidmar has bigger fish to fry in the coming weeks with his club set to face the Victory and crack Japanese side Kashima Antlers in the Asian Champions League.
But he said he was buoyed by every player’s performance against the Phoenix.
“We started the game off extremely well and kept going to the end in good fashion,” said Vidmar.
“I was a little surprised that Wellington didn’t come out fighting after their last result (loss to Melbourne).”
Cristiano’s goal-scoring statement was also a welcome sign for the season ahead.
“He was a bit slow in the first half. He had to get that first goal to get the monkey off his back,” said Vidmar, who was forced to replace defender Alemao at half time due to a slight groin strain.
Adelaide captain Travis Dodd said his side probably had the chances to score five or six past hapless Wellington but a clean sheet and three goals was still a good result.
Wellington coach Ricky Herbert said the Phoenix were just not competitive at all tonight.
“We’ve got to be better than that. There were opportunities for players there tonight and quite frankly, they didn’t take them,” he said.
Captain Andrew Durante said the Phoenix were simply outplayed and outclassed “all over the park.”
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