Bernardo, the teenage son of Adelaide United legend Cassio, has snatched a point for the Reds with his first ALM goal securing a 1-1 draw against Wellington.
Wellington appeared set to secure a fourth-straight win thanks to Mexican Gael Sandoval’s first-half strike.
But 17-year-old Bernardo’s 92nd-minute back-post header ensured Carl Veart’s team left Sydney’s Netstrata Jubilee Stadium with a share of the spoils on Saturday.
The son of Adelaide great Cassio, Bernardo charged onto a Josh Cavallo cross as two of the Reds’ second-half substitutes combined to punish a tiring Wellington, who were playing their third match in seven days.
“We’ve been trying to get a little bit more end product out of Bernardo,” Adelaide coach Veart said.
“He’s quite young and he’s learning the game.
“We keep encouraging him to be positive and he got inside the back post and got the header at the end.
“Full credit to him that he kept going there.”
The late goal was a gut punch for the Phoenix, who created the best chances of the match.
Coach Ufuk Talay stuck with the same starting XI which defeated Melbourne Victory on Wednesday in Wollongong.
That consistency shone through in the first half as English forward David Ball and Reno Piscopo regularly created chances for the Phoenix.
It was a delicious pass from Ball which found Sandoval in the 20th minute for the opener, the Mexican coolly slotting past Adelaide goalkeeper Joe Gauci to the far post to claim his second goal in just his fourth ALM appearance.
Gauci was critical in keeping the Phoenix’s lead to just one, making a smart save from Piscopo on the stroke of halftime when the Olyroo had been released by another pinpoint Ball pass.
The Phoenix had further half-chances at the start of the second-half but couldn’t beat Gauci a second time.
Veart turned to his bench, bringing on new signing Zach Clough for his ALM debut and the Englishman almost immediately had an impact by testing Oli Sail in the Wellington goal shortly afterwards.
But it was to be fellow substitute Bernardo with the most important say, leaving Talay to rue two points lost.
“Disappointed to concede in the way that we did at the end but I think overall – three games in seven days – the boys backed up very well,” Talay said.
“If we were a lot more clinical in front of the goal, caught them in transition a few more times and scored, it would have been a different story.”
Adelaide face Melbourne City on Tuesday at AAMI Park while Wellington’s next match is against Brisbane at Leichhardt Oval on Wednesday.
© AAP
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