A-League: Adelaide blow chance to lift pressure off Carl Veart

A draw with Sydney FC has Adelaide sweating on the playoffs and interim coach Carl Veart dangling for a full-time job.

Sydney striker Adam Le Fondre finished off a slick counter-attack to earn the Sky Blues a point against Adelaide at ANZ Stadium. Picture: Getty Images

Adelaide United’s interim boss Carl Veart watched his side blow its chance to guarantee he would become the club’s permanent coach for the new season.

A win over Sydney FC on Thursday night would have ensured Adelaide would end its search for a new coach, given club officials before the clash said the job was Veart’s if the Reds took all the points.

However, Sydney forcing a 1-1 draw at ANZ Stadium has also cast doubt on whether the Reds would hold onto a playoffs spot when they moved to 35 points with one home-and-away match against Melbourne City next week still to play.

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Western United – five points adrift but with four matches remaining – are the Reds’ biggest threat of snatching their spot in the six.

Adelaide was in the box seat to deliver an A-League win over Sydney for the first time in 11 matches before Veart’s former Olyroos teammate, Sky Blues coach Steve Corica, tinkered with his side’s formation to earn a point.

Adelaide’s Jordan Elsey celebrates his goal against Sydney FC at ANZ Stadium on Thursday night. Picture: Getty Images

Adelaide hit the front when a Lachlan Brook corner found an unmarked Jordan Elsey, who comfortably nodded the ball home for a deserved 1-0 lead after 13 minutes. It was Elsey’s first goal since 2018.

But as they pressed for a second goal, the Reds were caught out by a classic counter from the Sky Blues six minutes before the break, when United fumbled in front of Sydney’s penalty box.

Right back Harry van der Saag became the catalyst for Sydney’s resurgence when he stormed forward unchallenged through midfield, played the ball out wide to Trent Buhagiar, who caught United’s centre backs square.

Buhagiar’s exquisite pass was expertly finished by striker Adam Le Fondre for his 19th goal of the season.

Adelaide started the game brightly, and the Reds’ speed from a largely youthful formation had Sydney back-pedalling but they couldn’t capitalise, allowing the Sky Blues time to rethink their strategy.

After Michael Zullo was the early overlapping outlet from left back, Sydney changed tactics.

Van der Saag began causing grief down Sydney’s right, bypassing the midfield with his tantalising runs, which allowed Milos Ninkovic and Alex Baumjohann to cause more damage to the Reds closer to goal.

Ninkovic’s class was evident in the 25th minute when he had four touches inside the box despite being surrounded by Reds defenders, before firing a half-volley that goalkeeper Paul Izzo tipped over the crossbar.

Brook then had Sydney goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne at full flight to save a bending 15m effort in the 52nd minute.

And just before the hour, Baumjohann had Izzo diving to push a 20m shot around the post.

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