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Adelaide take point from Wanderers at home

Adelaide United have continued their mini-revival, securing a point in a scoreless but controversial stalemate with A-League leaders Western Sydney.

There was a disallowed goal, multiple penalty appeals and a handful of excellent saves on Friday night, but neither side could break the deadlock.

Adelaide will be happy to take a point from the Wanderers, who were held scoreless for the first time since the Sydney derby more than two months ago.

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The home outfit’s unbeaten streak is now at 10 games but Brisbane Roar could draw equal with Tony Popovic’s men by the end of Saturday.

Both sides had reason to feel aggrieved thanks to three questionable decisions by referee Ben Williams, including two within the space of a minute.

First, Wanderers players and fans were outraged when Federico Piovaccari was disallowed an opening goal after a shoulder-to-shoulder tussle with Dylan McGowan.

The pair had each other by the shirts as they hurtled downfield but the stocky Italian was stronger, driving the ball past United custodian Eugene Galekovic, who didn’t even bother to dive.

Next, Adelaide coach Guillermo Amor was livid on the sidelines at what came moments later.

Michael Marrone charged into the box and appeared to be fouled by Wanderers captain Nikolai Topor-Stanley, only for Williams to ignore it.

Right on the tick of halftime, McGowan appeared to bring down Mark Bridge in another appeal gone wanting.

The contentious moments broke up the flow of an otherwise riveting, end-to-end display of attacking football played in front of a crowd of 16,312 at Pirtek Stadium.

Adelaide were bright and found space, while Jimmy Jeggo held up the midfield with aplomb.

Romeo Castelen was made to work, as was the heavily marked but superb Mitch Nichols.

Bruce Djite had the earliest shot at opening the scoring, however Wanderers gloveman Andrew Redmayne was quick to stop it.

Sergio Cirio came even closer to joy with a lovely strike off a Djite cross that hit the woodwork.

Western Sydney too had their chances, forcing Eugene Galekovic to make a number of excellent saves.

The veteran United custodian and skipper reached high to tip an audacious chip from Andreu over the crossbar.

He also dived left to stop Castelen’s on-target belter.

Piovaccari’s sore luck – he had a handful of opportunities – continued in the subsequent corner, when his strong header was unwittingly deflected by an offside Bridge before it reached its destination at the goal’s bottom corner.

The game fizzled out in the second half, save for Redmayne’s fine reflex save to deny Craig Goodwin at the near post.

– AAP

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