Adelaide and City in tense draw

ADELAIDE United and Melbourne City have fought out a 1-1 draw in a feisty Friday night A-League fixture.

Adelaide’s Johan Absalonsen gave the home side a lead before Melbourne’s Stefan Mauk equalised early in the second half.

The result lifted Adelaide to fifth on the ladder, four points shy of third-placed City.

Absalonsen, starting his first game in two months after overcoming thigh and then glute injuries, scored against the tide just before halftime at Coopers Stadium in Adelaide.

The Dane fired from close range in the 46th minute after some slick lead-up play by Nikola Mileusnic.

The goal came in a heated first half that featured five yellow cards, including one for Adelaide coach Marco Kurz, for abusing a touchline official. Six yellow cards were issued in the game. Kurz’s temper boiled as City controlled the bulk of first-half territory, but the visitors blew their chance to lead when captain Bruno Fornaroli had a penalty shot saved.

City was in danger of slipping further behind when Absalonsen had two scoring chances in the initial five minutes of the second half. But the visitors equalled in the 53rd minute.

Melbourne’s rising star Daniel Arzani had curled a shot towards the far post that Izzo punched away but straight to Mauk, whose low strike from 10m out wrong-footed the goalkeeper.

City found the net again in the 78th minute in a goal-line scramble, only for Fornaroli to be ruled off-side in the lead-up.