Craig Goodwin is delivering on the pre-season hype following a brace in the FFA Cup Final which helped Adelaide lift the cup for the second time.
Craig Goodwin may never have to pay for a beer again as he delivered two spectacular goals which helped Adelaide United triumph over Sydney FC 2-1 in a rematch of the 2017 FFA Cup Final.
Goodwin set the final alight with a majestic free-kick from 25 yards out to set Coopers Stadium into delirium after a being brought down by Rhyan Grant.
With the weight of expectation firmly upon his shoulders, he curled a magnificent strike around the wall and into the upper echelon of the net past a despairing Andrew Redmayne.
The delirium was tempered slightly as Sydney pushed forward only minutes later as United’s defensive frailties and Jordan Elsey losing the ball set Alex Brosque free.
Alex Brosque went one on one with Paul Izzo, only to be brought down by the keeper’s stray leg, leaving Jarred Gillett no choice but to award a penalty. Sydney’s marquee man Adam Le Fondre, an expert penalty taker from his Reading days, stepped up and duly converted, celebrating in front of a muted Red Army.
Sydney started the better of the two sides after the break, highlighted by a Milos Ninkovic half-chance where he was played in by a delightful no-look pass by Alex Brosque, only to be denied by Paul Izzo at the near-post.
It was a tale of the two keepers, as Andrew Redmayne saved an almost certain goal from Ken Ilso barely five minutes later with Ilso found unmarked at the back post from a corner routine only to fire into Redmayne’s shoulder.
Yet it was Craig Goodwin who broke Sydney’s heart after he was teed up by Ben Halloran only to deliver a howitzer of a strike which flew past a helpless Redmayne and off the post into the top-right corner, with the net bulging.
The victory sees Adelaide claim the FFA Cup title for the second time with the inaugural victory being in 2014 while this is their first piece of silverware under Marco Kurz.
Adelaide United 1 (Craig Goodwin 25’ 74′)
Sydney FC 1 (Adam Le Frondre 27’)
Coopers Stadium
Referee: Jarred Gillett
Assistant Referee 1: Ryan Gallagher
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Illevski
Fourth Official: Matthew Cream
Adelaide United line-up: 20. Paul IZZO (GK), 2. Michael MARRONE, 23. Jordan ELSEY, 22. Michael JAKOBSEN, 3. Scott GALLOWAY, 6. Vince LIA (10.Ken ILSØ 63′) , 8. ISAIAS ©, 31. Mirko BOLAND (5. Taylor REGAN 92′), 4. Ryan STRAIN, 26. Ben HALLORAN, 11. Craig GOODWIN (17. Nikola MILEUSNIC 91′).
Unused Substitutes: 30. Isaac RICHARDS, 16. Nathan KONSTANDOPOULOS,
Sydney FC: 1. Andrew REDMAYNE (GK), 4. Alex WILKINSON, 5. Jop VAN DER LINDEN, 6. Joshua BRILLIANTE (21. Charles Lokoli NGOY 81′), 7. Michael ZULLO, 8. Paulo RETRE (11. Daniel DE SILVA 76′), 9. Adam LE FONDRE, 10. Milos NINKOVIC, 13. Brandon O’NEILL, 14. Alex BROSQUE ©, 23. Rhyan GRANT
Unused Substitutes: 2. Aaron CALVER, 24. Cameron DEVLIN, 20. Aleksander CISAK (GK).
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