Adelaide United has suffered its first loss of the A-League 2020/21 season, falling 5-3 in another goal fest against Perth Glory at HBF Park on Wednesday night.
Before the match there had been 17 goals scored in the preceding three meetings between the two sides, with Adelaide ironically beating Perth by the same scoreline in its previous encounter back in July.
Despite the warm weather, it again rained goals in this fixture in part due to several individual errors.
The frustrating result is the maiden defeat for the Reds under Carl Veart as Adelaide were off the pace for virtually the entire contest.
Nathan Konstandopoulos marked his first start since his serious knee injury with a goal before half-time to give the visitors a glimmer of hope, but the Glory inflicted more misery and at one point were 5-1 ahead.
Two consolation goals late on from Mohamed Toure and Ben Halloran flattered the scoreline for Adelaide who were far from their best.
The South Australians will now hope to bounce back against Melbourne Victory at Coopers Stadium on Saturday night.
After a sluggish start to the match, Perth would breach Adelaide’s goal for the first time this season via a spot-kick inside 10 minutes.
Goalkeeper James Delianov rushed off his line, misjudging the flight of the ball and clattering into the back of Bruno Fornaroli; and from the ensuing penalty Neil Kilkenny made no mistake.
The Reds had no answers for Perth’s sustained pressure and in the 34th minute they added to their advantage.
United failed to adequately clear their lines and D’Agostino was on hand to rifle his deflected shot home.
Three minutes before the break, Adelaide were thrown a lifeline when left-back Dane Ingham made a meal of Ben Halloran’s cross with his attempted clearance inadvertently falling to Konstandopoulos.
The midfielder was quickest to react and bury an instinctive finish past Liam Reddy to score his sixth career goal for the Club.
The Reds began slowly in the second-half as Bruno Fornaroli and D’Agostino punished the Reds’ defensive lapses.
Veart emptied his bench which included debuts for George Timotheou and Jonny Yull, the latter becoming the third youngest Red to appear for the Club at 15 years and 321 days.
Carlo Armiento then scored against his former side on the angle before Toure and Halloran were on target to add a little respectability, however the damage was already done.
Team news
There were two changes to the starting line-up by Carl Veart from the 2-0 win over Melbourne City with both of them enforced. Nathan Konstandopoulos made his first start in nearly a year to replace Captain, Stefan Mauk, who was ruled out with a calf complaint, while Michael Marrone came in for Ryan Strain who is still returning from a groin injury.
Key moments
10’ | GOAL: Kilkenny converts the penalty, sending the ball straight down the middle.
34’ | GOAL: D’Agostino doubles the Glory’s lead as the Reds fail to clear their lines and his goal-bound shot ricochets of Elsey and goes in.
42’ | GOAL! Konstandopoulos gets a goal back for the Reds out of absolutely nothing following a defensive error.
https://players.brightcove.net/5498268479001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6224397359001
51’ | GOAL: Fornaroli makes it 3-1 after Keogh slides a ball across to the unmarked Uruguayan for an easy finish.
60’ | GOAL: D’Agostino completes his brace with a free header from a crossing free-kick.
84’ | GOAL: Armiento fires a shot on an acute angle and beats Delianov at the near post.
88’ | GOAL! Two substitutes combine as Toure stays onside for an open goal tap-in from Pacifique Niyongabire’s cross.
https://players.brightcove.net/5498268479001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6224425664001
90+3’ | GOAL! The corner is kept alive by Yared Abetew, who finds Halloran and his perfectly placed shot goes in off the post.
https://players.brightcove.net/5498268479001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6224432570001
Match details:
Game date: Wednesday, 20 January
A-League 2020/21 – Matchweek 04
Perth Glory 5 (Kilkenny 10’ (p), D’Agostino 34’,60’, Fornaroli 51’, Armiento 84’)
Adelaide United 3 (Konstandopoulos 42’, M. Toure 88’, Halloran 90+3’)
Venue: HBF Park
