A late goal from Evan Kostopoulos has given Adelaide United a fourth-consecutive win in the National Youth League away to Brisbane Roar at Goodwin Park on Sunday.
The substitute capped off a strong finish to the game for the Reds, who won the match 2-1, after Francesco Monterosso’s early strike was cancelled out by Antony Schiavo shortly after half-time.
In a see-sawing contest, both teams had their chances in the opening stages, with Adelaide finding the woodwork from a goalmouth scramble, before Alistair Quinn saw his close-range volley kept out by the legs of Reds ‘keeper Mark Birighitti.
But Monterosso was in the right place at the right time to put the visitors in the lead, tapping home after Matt Acton’s save from a Joseph Wright shot fell favourably at his feet.
The home team hit back immediately afterwards with a couple of near misses, first from Luke Brattan’s effort which deflected narrowly past the post, before Quinn scuffed wide after making space for himself inside the box.
Schiavo levelled the scores five minutes into the second period, latching onto Stefan Vrbesic’s well-weighted through ball to finish emphatically past Birighitti.
Only a last-minute intervention from Brisbane skipper Daniel Bowles prevented Adelaide from regaining the lead on 66 minutes, clearing the ball off the line after Brett Rayner managed to scramble the ball past Acton.
The Reds went close again eight minutes later when Inseob Shin released Monterosso down the left flank and the Adelaide striker drove the ball across the face of goal for Kostopoulos who slid in but directed his effort the wrong side of the post.
Brattan hit a long-distance volley just wide, before Kostopoulos had a great chance when a Monterosso header put him through on goal but Acton did just enough to keep the ball out of the net.
The Roar needed another goal-line clearance on 83 minutes, Jordan Farina sparing Isaka Cernak-s blushes after Shin’s corner deflected off his head over his own goalkeeper.
But Brisbane’s luck ran out a minute later when Kostopoulos claimed his third goal of the season.
After a corner was cleared by the Brisbane defence the ball was bombed back into the area and Rayner found his team-mate who stabbed the ball home to push Adelaide up to second place on the ladder.
Brisbane Roar 1 (Schiavo 50)
Adelaide United 2 (Monterosso 17, Kostopoulos 84)
