A clinical strike by Adelaide United captain Travis Dodd eliminated Wellington Phoenix from the A-League finals on Friday night.
Adelaide triumphed 1-0 on sodden home turf at Hindmarsh Stadium in the sudden death final, thanks to Dodd’s composed 70th minute goal.
The Reds advance to meet the winner of Sunday’s other elimination final between Melbourne Victory and Gold Coast United.
Dodd’s breakthrough was triggered by an outlandish Marcos Flores pass who while seated somehow flicked, cross-legged, the ball to teammate Sergio van Dijk.
Van Dijk then delivered a precise through ball to Dodd, who steamed at goal with only the ‘keeper to beat and coolly struck a low right footer into the net to delight the parochial 10,285-strong home crowd.
The Reds entered the cut-throat fixture without midfielder Paul Reid, who withdrew after a dispute with coach Rini Coolen over his future.
Reid wanted to play for Sydney FC in their looming Asian Champions League campaign but Coolen refused.
The lack of Reid’s midfield poise was evident early as Wellington controlled the first 30 minutes of a match played on heavy turf in sweeping rain.
The Phoenix launched a couple of long range testers before a Nick Ward header in the 21st minute was denied by a top shelf reflex save by Adelaide ‘keeper Eugene Galekovic, diving to his left.
The Phoenix had the initial six shots at goal and Adelaide’s first scoring threat didn’t come until the 32nd minute, when playmaker Flores sliced through the defence only to shoot over the crossbar.
The 0-0 halftime stalemate continued into the second stanza, despite both sides introducing attacking weapons from the bench with about half an hour remaining – the Reds summoning Matthew Leckie and the Phoenix striker Paul Ifill for his first outing since last year.
Some 15 minutes after the substitutions, Dodd’s blow ended the season of a gallant Wellington outfit and kept alive Adelaide’s quest for a first A-League title.
Adelaide United coach Rini Coolen said his side’s display was not dominant, but ultimately satisfying.
“It was not a game that we controlled for the whole 90 minutes, definitely not,” Coolen said.
“Both teams created chances to score the first goal.
“I have to give them a compliment, how organised we played.
“We can do better of course in the transition moments but it’s acceptable, the level we played today, and it was enough to win so we’re happy.”
But Wellington Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert believed his side should have won, given their early dominance.
“I thought we did extremely well, probably the first 60 minutes was enough to get us through to any next round,” Herbert said.
“But we didn’t, and that is most disappointing.
“At the end of the day, we should have won that.”
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