Adelaide United’s top four aspirations took a hit following a 4-1 loss to Sydney FC at Coopers Stadium on Saturday night.
The Reds needed to win to keep alive any hope of a second place finish, but a double from Adam Le Fondre and goals from Bobo and Patrick Wood compounded a frustrating performance after Jordan Elsey was also sent off in the second stanza.
Yaya Dukuly scored his first A-League in the 89th minute but it was merely a consolation.
Adelaide has to claim three points on Thursday night against Western Sydney Wanderers and rely on favourable results to secure a top-four finish and home elimination final
Adelaide fell behind early and struggled to play with rhythm going forward.
Le Fondre had two more chances to add to his opener, squandering a header from Luke Brattan’s free-kick and was later denied via a goal-saving clearance from Ryan Kitto.
Stefan Mauk struck the post in the 52nd minute with an improvised attempt which almost restored parity, before Sydney made United pay.
One-nil soon became 3-0 in the space of four minutes after Le Fondre notched his second two minutes later and Bobo added a third.
Elsey was shown a second yellow card for impeding Le Fondre just past the hour mark.
Wood made it 4-0 after squeezing his strike in between James Delianov and the inside of the post.
Dukuly grabbed a late goal for the Reds after finishing Michael Marrone’s low cross, but the damage was already done as Adelaide’s eight-game unbeaten streak at home ended.
Team news
Carl Veart made two changes to his starting line-up. Javi López received his first start since the end of March and deployed in midfield with Juande out injured. Al Hassan Toure was given the nod to lead the line for his third start of the season.
Key moments
6’ | GOAL: Grant swings a cross into the box and it is met by a forceful header from Le Fondre.
28’ | BLOCK! Kitto comes to the rescue with a vital block to deny Le Fondre after the ball deflects to him from Milos Ninkovic’s shot.
https://players.brightcove.net/5498268479001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6256543050001
52’ | CHANCE! Mauk’s dink hits the post from Kitto’s cross.
54’ | GOAL: Delianov intercepts Barbarouses’ ball into the box and it ricochets into the path of Le Fondre who clinically places the ball into the net.
58’ | GOAL: Le Fondre squares his pass across to Bobo for a simple tap in. The flag was initially raised before the decision was overturned by VAR.
63’ | RED CARD: Elsey is dismissed for a second bookable offence.
71’ | GOAL: Wood cuts inside and sneaks his effort into the bottom near corner.
89’ | GOAL! Dukuly nets his maiden goal after connecting with Marrone’s cutback courtesy of a calmly slotted finish.
https://players.brightcove.net/5498268479001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6256544176001
Match details:
Saturday, 29 May 2021
A-League 2020/21 – Matchweek 23
Adelaide United 1 (Dukuly 89’)
Sydney FC 4 (Le Fondre 6’, 54’, Bobo 58’, Wood 71’)
Venue: Coopers Stadium
Crowd: 8,198
