Halloran’s extra-time strike leaves Reds still standing for shot at Glory

Adelaide United advanced to a grand final qualifier against Perth with a late winner against Melbourne City.

Adelaide’s Ben Halloran, right, celebrates after scoring the winner against Melbourne City in the final minutes of extra time at Coopers Stadium. Picture: Getty Images

Goals were always going to be at a premium, but Adelaide United only needed one to advance to a grand final qualifier after Ben Halloran was the hero in the Reds’ 1-0 win over Melbourne City at Coopers Stadium.

With the game seemingly headed into a penalty shootout, Halloran pounced to score the last-gasp winner in the second period of extra time in an elimination final in front of a crowd of 13,000.

United will now play Perth Glory in the first semi-final at HBF Park on Friday night but will go in as underdogs having had to play a little over 120 minutes of football in what was a tough grind. And they will have to do it on a five-day turnaround while premiers Perth Glory will have had the benefit of a week off.

The victory was a triumph for United coach Marco Kurz, who was told a month ago that his contract won’t be renewed at the end of the season.

The loss will also throw the spotlight on Melbourne City coach Warren Joyce, whose contract will also expire after two years at the helm.

Joyce pulled a surprise selection change in dumping captain Scott Jamieson to the bench in preference for Harrison Delbridge at left back.

The experienced Jamieson had missed just one game in the first 22 rounds of the season before suffering an injury that sidelined him for four games. He returned last week in the 5-0 win over Central Coast, replacing Delbridge who had been left out because of the risk of missing this match through suspension.

Still, one would have expected Jamieson, who is no stranger to finals football, to have got the nod.

In an interview before the game Joyce explained that he thought a finals game “was one game too soon” for his club captain.

“To be honest, if I didn’t have to rest Delbridge, and a few others last week I would have kept the same side that beat Wellington the previous week against Central Coast,” Joyce said.

With his side on a five-game unbeaten streak, Kurz, not surprisingly, retained the same XI that beat Brisbane Roar 5-3 in the final game of the regular season.

With home-ground advantage and the crowd behind them, it came as no surprise that United dominated the first 45 minutes. They certainly looked the better side with the ball at their feet with their passing and movement.

Captain Isaias and attacker Craig Goodwin were the dominant players — the Spaniard controlling the middle of the park and Goodwin doing some lovely work switching between the flanks and down the middle.

It was Goodwin who set up the best chance of the half on 14 minutes, producing a centimetre-perfect pass that split the defence and found Halloran on the charge.

Sensing the danger, City goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic advanced well off his line, but Halloran sent his shot crashing against the crossbar from the edge of the box.

Adelaide threatened several times to open up the City defence through the middle but could not take full advantage.

City found it difficult to get through the Adelaide press or gain any traction in the attacking third and did not test goalkeeper Paul Izzo. They had one or two moments, particularly on 34 minutes when United failed to clear a ball into the box and a couple of players from each side played pinball with it until it was eventually cleared.

United continued to look the better side in the second half and fashioned another great opportunity just two minutes in after some lovely work from Nikola Mileusnic and George Blackwood set up Goodwin on the left. He attempted to place his shot inside the right post but Delbridge did superbly to block the shot.

The game started to get willing with both coaches engaging in animated talk with the match officials. Kurz went one step too far and earned himself a yellow card from referee Kurt Ams.

But for all of Adelaide’s dominance they could not find a way through the well-organised City defence until the final moments.