Adelaide United’s finals hopes are on a knife’s edge after being held to a 1-1 draw by Brisbane Roar in the A-League Men clash at Suncorp Stadium.
The one point took the visitors to seventh on the ladder, equal with Sydney FC but behind on goal difference.
Adelaide have played one more match than the rest of the competition and must now win their final game away against Melbourne City and hope other results go their way to play finals.
The race for positions in the top six is set to go down to the final round of the regular season in the first weekend in May. Just four points separate third from seventh. Western United (41), Western Sydney (40), Melbourne Victory (39), Sydney FC (37) and Adelaide (37) are fighting it out.
Adelaide opened the scoring in the 11th minute on Tuesday night, with Dylan Pierias slamming home a wonder cross from Yaya Dukuly, who provided the pinpoint pass across the face of goal after a scything run down the left.
The hosts had their chances to score in the first half but were frustrated.
Roar midfielder Jacob Brazete lobbed a shot inches over the crossbar in the fifth minute.
There was a controversial moment in the 15th minute when the 19-year-old caressed a curling right-to-left shot into the net after attracting three defenders just inside the box. VAR denied the goal for offside for the sake of several Brazete toes.
Roar striker Asumah Abubakar, the player of the match, had a goal correctly ruled out for offside after a deft pass from skipper Jay O’Shea
Earlier it was a Florin Berenguer miss from close range in front of an open goal that had the home fans holding their heads in dismay.
Dukuly had a thunderbolt shot well saved by Roar goalkeeper Matt Acton on the cusp of halftime.
Then in the 59th minute, Ghana-born Abubakar, from 35m out, lashed a right-footer in for his fourth goal of the season.
Striker Luka Jovanovic had a chance to take the lead for Adelaide but was unable to find the net.
Roar’s Ben Halloran had a shot in the 88th minute well saved by goalkeeper Max Vartuli, but a winner from either side proved elusive.
The Roar are in 12th place and can avoid the wooden spoon with one win in their final two games.
