Analysis: Adelaide United avenges last year’s finals exit to down Melbourne City in elimination final

Adelaide United has avenged last season’s A-League playoffs exit by downing Melbourne City in extra-time and delaying coach Marco Kurz’s farewell for at least another week.

Ben Halloran attempts to get past Melbourne City keeper Eugene Galekovic. Picture SARAH REED

• Epic extra-time winner puts Reds on edge of glory

THIS was the chance for Marco Kurz to demonstrate just how far Adelaide United had come under his tutelage, 12 months on from A-League finals heartbreak.

On the evidence of Sunday night’s dramatic extra-time win over Melbourne City, the departing German coach had worked wonders to transform his side into a legitimate title contender.

The Reds were left shattered last season when Besart Berisha’s 89th minute strike dumped them out of the playoffs at the first hurdle against bitter rival Melbourne Victory.

Ben Halloran fired in Adelaide United’s winner deep into extra-time. Picture: Sarah Reed

This time the other Victorian outfit would not deny its progress, as Ben Halloran’s last-gasp winner fired it to the second week of the post-season for first time since its 2016 championship.

Kurz went in unchanged from the side which beat Brisbane Roar 10 days ago to secure hosting rights in the elimination final.

Fears of a feeble turnout in the generally unpopular late weekend timeslot were blown away as a 13,232 crowd packed into Hindmarsh on a cold, but mostly still, evening.

The vocal crowd approved of the opening exchanges, as the Reds began on the front foot.

Adelaide was shifting the ball at a high tempo and pressing the visitors deep inside their own half at every opportunity.

It was a high intensity start reminiscent of United’s round 12 home triumph over the Victory, arguably its standout display of the campaign.

The home side had just four survivors from last term’s AAMI Park playoff demise in its starting XI.

One key difference was Craig Goodwin, who has proven his class with 10 goals and a league-high nine assists since rejoining the club from Dutch club Sparta Rotterdam in the off-season.

The SA-born talent almost provided the spark to break the deadlock when he pierced the City defence with a superb through ball only for Ben Halloran to crash his shot against the bar.

Adelaide United’s George Blackwood battles for the ball with Melbourne City’s Bart Schenkeveld. Picture: Sarah Reed

Adelaide, looking for its first win against City in six meetings under Kurz, was working overtime to limit the visitor’s space in attack and consistently win the ball in midfield.

But the Reds’ final pass regularly let them down, despite shading possession, and just nine per cent of their 11 crosses found their intended target in the first half.

United started the second half in bright fashion too as Goodwin was denied by a lunging Harrison Delbridge block and a menacing Mirko Boland cross was scrambled clear.

But it needed the brilliance of goalkeeper Paul Izzo to deny a piledriver from ex-Reds youngster Riley McGree and a later sweet strike by Englishman Shayon Harrison.

Adelaide’s battling qualities, an ever-present feature during Kurz’s two campaigns at the helm, were again apparent as it more than matched City’s industry.

The lack of polish in the front third that had resulted in the second lowest goals return in the competition also unfortunately plagued the hosts for the bulk of the clash.

Craig Goodwin and Ben Halloran celebrate Adelaide United’s last-gasp victory. Picture: Sarah Reed

Nikola Mileusnic had given United the lead in last year’s finals outing, before Victory stormed back to snatch the game.

United’s ploy of long diagonal switches however failed to stretch City’s back line or feed its wide men in dangerous areas, meaning the speedster was replaced by Baba Diawara late on.

Isaias had been Adelaide’s linchpin for the past six seasons and he again pulled the strings in the middle of the park with some crunching tackles and intelligent use of the ball.

The Spanish-born dynamo almost brought the house down with a curling free kick four minutes from the end of normal time which drifted just wide.

United huffed and puffed in the additional periods as the match looked destined for penalties.

But it was left to another recruit in Halloran to send the Reds’ loyal supporters into dreamland and extend Kurz’s tenure for another week at least.