Gifted playmaker Dario Vidosic’s top-shelf display helped lift Adelaide United from the bottom of the A-League with a 2-0 victory over Wellington Phoenix on Friday night.
The classy Vidosic was at his sublime best as the Reds snapped a six-game winless streak, with goals to Bruce Djite and Antony Golec downing the Phoenix at Hindmarsh Stadium.
Vidosic featured in both scores, setting up Djite with an audacious first-half pass before his curving second-half free kick gifted Golec a tap-in.
Adelaide’s triumph, which hoisted the Reds from last place to seventh, came in John Kosmina’s second game as coach since replacing the sacked Rini Coolen.
And goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic finished a winner in his initial match as captain following the mid-week demotion of defender Jon McKain.
Vidosic helped justify both changes with a game-breaking performance, his skill and poise evidenced by his role in Djite’s 16th-minute goal.
The Adelaide No.10 lobbed a visionary pass over the Phoenix defence and into the path of Djite, whose thunderous first-time left-footer gave goalkeeper Mark Paston no chance.
Vidosic was central in another Adelaide attacking foray some 19 minutes later, a one-two with Spase Dilevski which nearly created a second goal, but Dilevski was a half-metre wide with his left-footed attempt.
Adelaide led 1-0 at half-time and Vidosic again figured prominently after the break – initially having a shot blocked superbly by Paston before being involved in Golec’s goal in the 62nd minute.
Vidosic curved a 30-metre free kick around a Wellington wall, forcing Paston to dive full-stretch to his left to parry.
But the Phoenix keeper watched helplessly from the ground as an unattended Golec pounced on the rebound to score from metres out.
Adelaide United coach John Kosmina was relieved to deliver a victory that lifted the Reds from last place.
“Emotionally, it’s great – how can you complain,” Kosmina said.
“We got a clean sheet, a good crowd, and the football was good.
“And more than that, the resolve of the players was good as well.”
Wellington Phoenix coach Rikki Herbert said his men were hampered by an inability to snatch several scoring chances.
“We hit the post and had a few really good chances,” Herbert said.
“Probably last week we were pretty clinical in that area and tonight we weren’t.
“When we travel, we struggle with the chances that we need to put in the back of the net.”
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