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Adelaide United moved closer to a knockout stage spot in the AFC Champions League for a second time after just seeing off Japanese heavyweight Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3-2 in their Group H clash at Hindmarsh Stadium.
In a frantic finale, 10-man Sanfrecce took the lead with 15 minutes to play only for Adelaide to strike twice in four minutes to regain the lead with substitute Cassio firing home a free kick winner in the 82nd minute.
That clinched the former ACL finalists a hat trick of group stage wins in front of 12,841 fans and maintained their top ranking in the group.
But the home side had to sweat out the victory in the dying stages after a pointless Sanfrecce turned the tie on its head after half time.
Adelaide captain Travis Dodd crowned a dominant first half display with a headed goal after just 11 minutes but Sanfrecce grew bolder in the second half and midfielder Kazuyuki Morisaki netted in the 55th minute and substitute Issei Takayanagi stunned the home crowd in the 75th with a headed goal which put Sanfrecce 2-1 up.
But defender Robert Cornthwaite equalised in the 78th minute by heading home a Scott Jamieson corner and Cassio deflated the Japanese side with his deflected free kick from 20 metres out that wrong-footed the keeper.
Sanfrecce’s task had got bigger after defensive linchpin, Bulgarian international Ilian Stoyanov, was sent off in the 32nd minute for hauling back Adelaide’s teenage striker, Matthew Leckie just outside the penalty box.
The win ensured Adelaide held tightly onto top spot with a buffer in the group with three games still to play and Sanfrecce pointless and bottom.
Adelaide United turned the screws on Sanfrecce early with Argentine playmaker Marcos Flores dictating the rhythm and punching holes in the Japanese side’s five-man defence.
Dodd was also a standout in the first half and made the most of Flores’ precision on the left to net his first goal in the Champions league this season in style.
Flores took a quick throw-in at his feet, lost his marker and whipped in a low cross that Dodd steered into the side netting with a glancing header.
But an inspired Sanfrecce almost Adelaide pay for careless defending after half time as Morisaki drove home a weak clearance from Cornthwaite on the edge of the penalty area and Takayanagi backheaded a free kick into the far corner.
United face Sanfrecce again next Tuesday night in Japan in the reverse fixture .
Acting Adelaide head coach Joe Mullen said his team’s steely determination, tenacity and team spirit had seen them pluck a win from the jaws of defeat.
“Even when they took the lead in the 75th minute we still had enough time to come back and take the game,” he said.
“The spirit and belief that’s engendered in this team is completely different to the A League campaign.”
Sanfrecce coach Mihailo Petrovic said his side played most of the match with one less player “but were able to play as good soccer as Adelaide United.”
He felt his side had been unlucky to lose all its three ACL matches to date.
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