The return to Adelaide United's coaching helm of former mentor John Kosmina was a significant factor in the South Australian side's solid 2-0 victory over a disappointing Wellington Phoenix combination in front of 9,739 fans at Hindmarsh Stadium on December 30.
Back on familiar turf for the first time since his recent appointment, Kosmina rang the changes in the United line-up, and the “Kossy Factor” certainly had the desired effect, with Adelaide playing as a cohesive unit for the first time in many a match to end a six-game winless streak, much to the delight of the local faithful.
After Tony Lochhead had rattled the side-netting with a shot just three minutes into his return from injury, Adelaide gradually gained the ascendancy in the early exchanges, with Tony Warner twice forced to save at the feet of in-rushing United players Dario Vidosic and Bruce Djite in the next eight minutes.
Either side of these opportunities, the recalled Sergio Van Dijk had twice gone close, slicing a twenty-five yarder narrowly wide before being thwarted by Ben Sigmund as he looked to get on the end of a Spase Dilevski cross.
The first clear-cut opening in the match fell Wellington's way in the fourteenth minute. Daniel Cortes got in on the left and reached the by-line before Nigel Boogaard stepped in to curtail his progress.
Unfortunately for the defender, his clearance fell perfectly for Chris Greenacre to unleash a shot at goal. But Eugene Galekovic's outstretched leg foiled the Wellington striker, and the home team cleared the danger.
Three minutes later, they were celebrating their first goal in over three matches at Hindmarsh Stadium. And a super move it was, too. Vidosic started it, linking with Van Dijk before moving forward while the number nine fed Fabian Barbiero, up in support on the left.
The midfielder picked out the playmaker, with Vidosic's deft lob over the top falling invitingly into the stride of Djite, who thrashed an unerring first-time volley inside Warner's near post which left the 'keeper beaten all ends up.
Adelaide's fans were understandably delighted at the drought having been broken, and only a timely tackle from Manny Muscat prevented Van Dijk from doubling their advantage seven minutes later.
Both Djite and Vidosic were frustrated before the half-hour mark as they looked to increase Adelaide's lead - the interventions of Sigmund and Warner the respective sources of their annoyance, as a far more vibrant Adelaide combination than had been seen under the previous regime gave Wellington plenty of cause for concern.
The visitors were generating plenty of attacks themselves, but all too often their final ball was found wanting. One occasion it wasn't, however, was in the 31st minute, when Daniel's cross was headed down by Adelaide defender Antony Golec to Tim Brown, who steered his twenty yarder towards the target. Galekovic smothered solidly.
An enterprising Adelaide attack deserved better fate ten minutes before half-time. A wonderful flowing move featuring Vidosic, Barbiero, Golec and Van Dijk found Dilevski inside the Wellington penalty area, where he jinked inside two challenges only to undo all the good work which had preceded his shot by dragging his ten-yarder wide of the near post - a poor finish.
Wellington responded with the last attack of note in the half, six minutes later. And from it, they should have equalised. Daniel pinged in a free-kick from the right which found Brown completely unmarked, eight yards out from goal.
The midfielder, who will miss his team's next game after picking up his fifth booking of the season earlier in the half, rattled the post with his header, with Adelaide reacting quickly to clear the rebound to safety.
The visitors, despite the uncomfortable 33C heat, enjoyed the better of the exchanges early in the second half, but not before Sigmund had launched himself into a full length dive to block a goalbound shot from first half substitute Zenon Caravella, after yet more good work by Vidosic.
Dani Sanchez stung the gloves of Galekovic three minutes into the second half in response to this early threat, while Wellington produced their best move of the match seven minutes later. Vince Lia, Brown and Greenacre were all involved before Muscat worked a slick one-two with Daniel to engineer the space from which to cross to the near post, Greenacre the target.
Adelaide's defence again stood firm, however, and were rarely threatened again, unlike Wellington's rearguard, which survived a real scare in the 58th minute after Van Dijk had picked out Caravella's angled run in behind the defence.
The substitute set up Vidosic for a shot which the retreating figure of Lochhead somehow managed to block on the line. The rebound fell to the playmaker, who squared for Cameron Watson to let fly, only for the fullback's effort to be parried by Warner. Andrew Durante completed the clearance, but the respite was brief.
For just four minutes later, Adelaide doubled their lead. Muscat was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card for the foul he committed just outside the penalty area, but the home team administered a punishment far worse than dismissal. Vidosic's well-struck free-kick was parried by the diving figure of Warner straight into the stride of Golec, whose performance fully merited the goal he celebrated gleefully.
Adelaide were now content to sit on their hard-earned two-goal lead, but Wellington offered little genuine attacking threat in the remaining half-hour. Leo Bertos' twenty yarder brought a smothered save from Galekovic thirteen minutes from time, after he had combined with Nick Ward and Sanchez, five minutes after the last-mentioned's deflected free-kick had somehow been kept out at his near post by Adelaide's 'keeper.
Van Dijk's stoppage time thirty yard free-kick was the closest the home team came to netting a third goal during the remainder of a match which saw Adelaide score a solid win and haul themselves off the bottom of the table, while inflicting further away day blues on a Wellington side whose form on the road continues to disappoint.