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Adelaide and Victory put on an A-League classic

Title contenders Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory played out a 2-2 draw in an enthralling Saturday night A-League encounter.

After a cracking early goal from the Victory’s Ben Kalfallah, the Reds struck back with Pablo Sanchez and Dylan McGowan scoring.

But just when Adelaide thought they had the points before a 16,077-strong home crowd, Melbourne veteran Archie Thompson equalised.

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The result sent second-placed Victory to within one point of leaders Wellington, who play Brisbane on Sunday.

And Adelaide also rose a notch, to fourth – just two points adrift of the Phoenix in a logjam ladder.

The Reds were hit in the ninth minute when Kalfallah reached into his top shelf and found a jewel of a goal.

Finding rare time and space in a frenetic fixture, the French-born Tunisian international pulled the trigger on a 16-metre rifle shot which beat despairing Adelaide goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic.

But Adelaide levelled in the 43rd minute when their foreign legion combined.

Argentine Marcelo Carrisca, deep in attack, tossed a long throw in the path of Spaniard Cirio, who instinctively lobbed across the goalface where his countryman Pablo Sanchez nodded in from less than a metre.

Scores remained tied into the 74th minute when Adelaide defender McGowan gave his side the lead – briefly.

McGowan struck a slick left-footer from close range which Victory keeper Nathan Coe superbly parried.

But a rebound scrap ultimately fell to Adelaide’s Jimmy Jeggo, who sent the ball back to McGowan and he headed into the net, via a deflection off Melbourne defender Leigh Broxam.

Adelaide’s joy was shortlived. Three minutes later, the shrewd Thompson snuck through the home side’s defence and past Galekovic with two neat touches – and with a third, he angled a left-footer into the net.

– AAP

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