Phoenix salvage 2-2 draw against Reds - Brisbane Times

AAP

Wellington Phoenix kept their faint A-League playoff hopes alive with a 2-2 draw against Adelaide United in Wellington on Sunday.

Down 2-1 at halftime after Jeremy Brockie's strike in between goals from Tomi Juric and Marcelo Carrusca, Wellington were given a sniff of a chance when Reds defender Jon McKain was sent off after 70 minutes.

And new signing Corey Gameiro duly obliged with an 80th-minute equaliser after Stein Huysegems' nod-down found him perfectly positioned for a left-foot volley.

The Phoenix remain mired at the bottom of the ladder, but with three more home games, still have at least a mathematical chance of making the top six with five rounds remaining.

In contrast, Adelaide move up into third place, equal on 36 points with the Victory but boasting a superior goal difference.

The Reds, who now haven't won in seven away matches, had started with plenty of fire, forcing Phoenix stopper Glen Moss into a sharp save inside the first minute after a strong strike from midfielder Iain Ramsay.

Two yellow cards followed in quick succession to McKain and Osama Malik as Adelaide looked to shut down the midfield.

But the Reds settled when Juric lashed home his second goal in as many matches as 20 minutes ticked over, finding himself unmarked and crashing Ramsay's sweetly placed cross home to give Adelaide the lead.

Juric followed up on his impressive debut last week against Sydney FC, coming off the bench and scoring the Reds' only goal in the 2-1 loss after barely two minutes on the pitch.

The Phoenix battled to regroup, creating more pressure in the front third and were rewarded in the 31st minute.

Gameiro dispossessed Reds keeper Eugene Galekovic in front of goal with embarrassing ease, slipping the ball to striker Jeremy Brockie for his 12th goal of the season with the easiest of tap-ins.

But it took the Reds just two minutes to hit the front again, playmaker Cassio celebrating his 150th match for Adelaide with a pinpoint cross in for Carrusca's lethal left boot to belt home.

The Phoenix pressed forward after the equaliser, forcing Gaelkovic into two spectacular saves to palm aside strikes from Gameiro and Paul Ifill, but couldn't find the winner.