Adelaide United will finish the weekend inside the top 4, having capitalised on the Victory’s loss against Newcastle earlier in the evening.
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Final score
Adelaide United 2
Perth Glory 1
Adelaide United are at home at Coopers Stadium hosting Perth Glory, in a match that somewhat amazingly has finals implications for both teams, as fourth plays eighth. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary at 7:50pm (AEDT).
The Reds are still very much in the hunt for a top-four berth. While in many ways they were lucky to leave Wellington with three points last weekend, by the same token, the Reds have been incredibly unlucky in several other matches where good performances have gone unrewarded (their losses this season to Newcastle in particular).
So a return to home comforts will be a very welcome offering this round, and given they are only a point behind Victory going into this round, a win here, and some help from the Jets, can see Adelaide take that fourth place spot.
Also, that Adelaide bounced back so strongly last week from that five-nil nightmare against Melbourne City should give them a boost for the rest of the season, and they will want to ram home the reward of last week with a follow-up victory here, and maintain that momentum.
Perth, meanwhile, just won’t go away. Shocking against Sydney one week, they were strong against Western Sydney a couple weeks later.
True, the controversial red card in the first ten minutes against the Wanderers was of great assistance, no doubt, but how often do you see a ten-man team frustrate their opponent, and the extra man advantage be of no use? Perth did the job last weekend, and they did the job well.
So while Perth in a sense languish two spots from the bottom, a win here, much like it did for Brisbane last weekend, could see them jump straight back into that top six, albeit for a mere 24 hours.
Diego Castro is still one of the best players in this league, and his season has not reached the heights that he would have anticipated at the start of the campaign. But he showed his true value last week, and if he can maintain that form, Perth can steal a win here.
Prediction
Perth have not travelled to away games well this season, and I get the impression they will hope to repel and counter here tonight.
Adelaide will want to press home the home-field advantage, and as they showed against Sydney, they are a formidable side at home when they put their mind to it.
Isaias in the midfield will be telling, while the run up front of Blackwood might just prove a bridge too far for Perth, and an Adelaide win should be on the menu.
Adelaide 2-0
perry cox
Roar Guru
Wendell Sailor is what makes mine so alluring Stuart. lolz
Kangajets
Guest
Not long home from the Newcastle game . Nice to see Adelaide get the win
perry cox
Roar Guru
Bring it on Stuart! I'm locked and loaded for tomorrow evening - I'm bypassing a trial match in first grade for it. Tops night of football.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Great night of football, thanks for the commentary Karlo and well done to your Jets. I think we are both on tomorrow for the crucial games to complete the round. The A-League is alive and well despite commentary to the contrary.
perry cox
Roar Guru
Full Time Adelaide United will finish the weekend inside the top 4, having capitalised on the Victory's loss against Newcastle earlier in the evening. While it was Perth who opened the scoring through Keogh, that would really was good as it got for Perth in the opening half. It was Adelaide who took the game by the scruff of the neck through wide pace, and a strong midfield, and while they equalised with an own goal by Dino Djulbic, the play had deserved the equal scoreline. Adelaide continued to take the game to Perth, as the pace in Ryan Kitto, Ben Garuccio, Ryan Strain, and this writer's man of the match Nikola Mileusnic, ran rings around Perth. It was then no surprise that Isaias took the ball in the midfield, and from his own half sent a through ball perfectly weighted for a rampaging Mileusnic to run onto. He used a couple of touches perfectly to get in position, and nail the ball past the keeper and into the net, giving Adelaide the lead. Perth never really looked like finding a way of countering Adelaide's pace, and while Jacob Italiano and Mitch Nichols came onto the park to add a bit of pace themselves, it just wasn't enough for Perth. Perth would finish the game stronger against a tiring Adelaide unit, but they never really found the killer blow. Perth may feel like they deserved something, but for all the chances Adelaide had, Perth could have lost by a fair bit more. A fascinating encounter in the City of Churches, and while the season is not yet over for Perth, it certainly is slipping away. Adelaide on the other hand can enjoy a solid run of winnable games and good form, after managing to get their second set of back to back wins for the season. Just short of 8,000 in the crowd, who for the majority, left the ground happy with the outcome. What are your thoughts Roarers? Let us know in the comments. Adelaide United: 2 Perth Glory: 1
perry cox
Roar Guru
95' - Adelaide have stopped dead in their tracks here. Perth with a minute to get a point. Reds flooding the area. Castro with the shot! SAVE BY IZZO - straight at him to be fair, but that could have gone anywhere. That might just do it for the home team. Adelaide United: 2 Perth Glory: 1
perry cox
Roar Guru
Yellow Card 93' - Perth with a free here. Garuccio with a card - that must be for back chat, because he didn't commit the foul. Correction - Kitto gets the card for the foul Reds clear the free, and counter. Mileusnic on the ball again, but the young fella must be tired by now. Adelaide United: 2 Perth Glory: 1
perry cox
Roar Guru
I thought that was in! Italiano in at the back post, onto the cross, heads it true, but it just goes outside the post. Looked in from this angle, and should have been at least on target.
perry cox
Roar Guru
91' - And that will be 5 minutes of stoppage time. Adelaide United: 2 Perth Glory: 1
perry cox
Roar Guru
90' - Mileusnic turns the Perth defence, and charges in on goal from the right. Now, he's gone for power over placement there, and that needs landing clearance in Melbourne, because the shot is off target, and out of here! Adelaide United: 2 Perth Glory: 1
perry cox
Roar Guru
87' - Fair amount of stoppages for actual injuries tonight, so there'll be a fair bit of stoppage time in this one a la the Jets v Victory match. Reds looking all over the place in defence at the moment, a lot of confusion in clearing that cross, which Marrone eventually does. Corner Perth. Adelaide United: 2 Perth Glory: 1
perry cox
Roar Guru
85' - Great little passage there for Perth, but Adelaide repel. SUB: Gulum off, Marrone on. SUB: Konstandopoulos on, O'Doherty off. The double change with five to go. Bold move by Kurz. Adelaide need it - Perth have been pressing hard for an equaliser there. Adelaide United: 2 Perth Glory: 1
perry cox
Roar Guru
83' - No penalty. Right decision. Gulum limps back on. Adelaide United: 2 Perth Glory: 1
perry cox
Roar Guru
82' - HUGE CHANCE PERTH. Maccas VAR is checking for a handball. But Italiano was released on the right after a long ball change from Torres. Italiano gets it into the area for Castro, and with all the blocking of the shot, and bodies around the ball, has Castro's shot hit an arm? And if so, is that a penalty? Adelaide United: 2 Perth Glory: 1
perry cox
Roar Guru
81' - Injury time out here, as it's Gulum down getting tended to. Is it a calf problem? Do you get assistance for being unfit? Adelaide down to ten men for the moment, Izzo with a clearing goal kick. Adelaide United: 2 Perth Glory: 1
perry cox
Roar Guru
79' - So with all these chances not being put away by Adelaide, will Perth ultimately make them pay, as we have seen so often in this competition? Adelaide United: 2 Perth Glory: 1
perry cox
Roar Guru
78' - CHANCE FOR ADELAIDE - AGAIN. O'Doherty uses his energy for a ball behind the line, and Kitto blazes onto it. He shoots from a slight angle truly, Reddy parries it wide for a corner. That was fast stuff! Adelaide United: 2 Perth Glory: 1
perry cox
Roar Guru
77' - CHANCE FOR ADELAIDE - that would have been offside though. The through ball onto the attack, the ball hits the side netting though. Would VAR have over turned that one? Adelaide United: 2 Perth Glory: 1
perry cox
Roar Guru
76' - Mileusnic, another charging run, and he sends Blackwood wide, but the attack breaks down. He just drove that through the middle, and left Perth for dead. Fair cop though, that lay off to Blackwood needed to be further in front, not further out wide. Adelaide United: 2 Perth Glory: 1
perry cox
Roar Guru
74' - The thing I like about Mileusnic is that he defends as well. All that energy being put to good attacking and defensive use. Adelaide up the attacking end now, having withstood a bit of a Perth charge. Reds with a corner. Can they put this one to bed here? No, Reddy gobbles that up easily. Adelaide United: 2 Perth Glory: 1