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AAP
AAP
Sport
Lee Gagliardi

Late stunner snatches ALM win for Reds against Roar

Nestory Irankunda (66) scored Adelaide United's 82nd-minute winner against Brisbane in the ALM. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

An 82nd minute stunner from substitute Nestory Irankunda has earned Adelaide United a 2-1 A-League Men victory over Brisbane at Coopers Stadium.

The goal came against the run of play with the Roar dominating the chances and peppering the Reds' goal for much of Saturday night's thrilling encounter.

United move up to third place on the ladder, equal on 23 points with Central Coast who sit second with a superior goal difference.

"I suppose we rode our luck quite a few times tonight," Reds coach Carl Veart said.

"But the boys kept fighting because Brisbane are a very difficult side to play against because they get so many numbers behind the ball and they defend their box so well."

Despite Adelaide's early possession it was Brisbane who looked the most likely to score first.

Jay O'Shea watched his volley from the edge of the area deflect narrowly wide, while Joe Knowles fizzed a shot just past the post from 20 metres.

On 25 minutes the Roar should have found the net from a well-worked corner, with O'Shea and Carlo Armiento combining to send it to the back post.

It was headed across the face of goal for Tom Aldred, but his tap in was cleared off the line by a desperately lunging Javi Lopez.

Adelaide found the opening goal of the game in the 34th thanks to Louis D'Arrigo, and a decent amount of luck.

The Reds' midfielder unleashed 25 metres from goal; the ball slamming off Kai Trewin and Aldred to completely wrong-foot Roar keeper Jordan Holmes and nestle into the bottom corner.

Adelaide's lead didn't last long with the visitors deservedly finding the net three minutes later.

Armiento whipped a wicked in-swinging corner to the near post which was completely unguarded, with Knowles getting the final touch and nudging it over the line.

The second half brought much of the same excitement and intensity and on the hour Brisbane thought they had their second.

Armiento scored directly from the corner with Joe Gauci getting his hand to it, but unable to keep it out. VAR intervened and referee Alex King ruled out the goal with Knowles impeding Gauci's jump.

Soon after, the Roar cleared off the line when Lachie Barr rose highest and headed goalbound from a Craig Goodwin corner.

The visitors continued to carve out opportunities and the go-ahead goal looked imminent.

Henry Hore rattled the crossbar from inside the area after Gauci punched clear a cross from Jack Hingert, before another corner almost undid the home side again.

Gauci did just enough to keep out O'Shea's drifting, lofted cross and saved a powerful low drive from Roar substitute Nikola Mileusnic.

For all the Roar's dominance, it was United who re-took the lead.

Irankunda robbed O'Shea just outside Brisbane's penalty area, took possession and breezed past two defenders before firing a rocket past Holmes at the near post.

Roar coach Warren Moon was full of praise for his side who were unlucky to leave Adelaide empty-handed.

"I thought we were the better team tonight," he said.

"We rode out the first 10 minutes, I think we were under a bit of pressure. We took our time to get into the game but other than that I thought we were excellent so I'm really disappointed."

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