Football: Wellington Phoenix's first four prospects in A-League are affected by Adelaide's defeat United

The Wellington Phoenix's quest to rank among the top four in the A-League suffered a setback, paying the price of an overwhelming defeat in the first half after a 3-1 defeat to Adelaide.

The result raises Adelaide to the same rank as the Phoenix, in fourth place, three games in the regular season.

The fierce battle for fourth place – and the playoffs that accompany it – also includes Melbourne City, which is only one point behind its 4-1 win against Brisbane on Friday.

Adelaide came out of the blocks and took advantage in the 10th minute. Veteran defender Michael Marrone escaped Michal Kopczynski 's attention in the penalty box to score from a corner for a goal for his second goal of the league.

That lead was doubled seven minutes later when teenage striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos swept through central Phoenix, Scott Galloway.

The first 35 minutes was one of the poorest football seasons ever produced by Wellington during the great season.

Their disappearance lacked cohesion, possession was regularly and cheaply abandoned and there was no reason to enthuse him in the attacking third.

Given the performance of the last three weeks in which the Phoenix scored the A-League's 15-goal record, it was an oddly flat display.

However, in the ten minutes before the break, Wellington started playing with goalkeeper Paul Izzo for Liberato Cacace, before Antony Golec cleared his head.

While the visitors seemed to have gained some ground, Stamatelopoulos raised the score to 3-0, his mighty head squirming under Phoenix Filip Kurto 's reclining body and crossing the finish line.

But Stamatelopoulos immediately went from hero to villain with a decisive challenge: Mandi earned him a red card in the half-time, which allowed him to negotiate the second half with only ten men.

Phoenix coach Mark Rudan threw the dice early in the second period, introducing forwards Cillian Sheridan and Max Burgess.

With a numerical advantage and Burgess in particular adding significant creativity and spark, the Phoenix besieged Adelaide's packaged defense with the goal of reducing the deficit.

A delightful pass from Burgess allowed Sheridan to fight head-to-head, but after the Irishman mastered Izzo, he refused to shoot from a narrow angle.

Wellington's first goal finally came after 73 minutes when Mandi's weak strike in an overcrowded penalty zone hit the post and bounced off Sheridan's path, who scored his first goal, Phoenix, at close range.

The odds continued to come for Wellington with Burgess at the heart of their best offensive moments.

Five minutes from the end, Kopczynski had the ball in the net after a scrum, but the goal was declared offside.

Despite their dominance, time was running out for the Phoenix, which had to abandon its poor first semester and consider an 11th consecutive victory-free exit against Adelaide.

The Phoenix will remain in Australia ahead of Friday's clash with Brisbane Roar before returning home for what promises to be a pivotal meeting with Melbourne City on Easter Sunday.

Adelaide United 3 (Stamatelopoulos 2, Marrone)
Wellington Phoenix 1 (Sheridan)