The Reds stretched their unbeaten run to a record 13 matches with brilliant goals from Sergio van Dijk, Marcos Flores and second half substitute Travis Dodd.

Wellington had kept pace with United for most of the match and even looked better than the Reds in patches during the first half.

United had began to assert their authority on the hour mark with Flores, van Dijk, Dodd and captain Lucas Pantelis all looking dangerous.

Dodd went close to breaking the deadlock minutes after coming on, when the ball fell nicely for him after a goalmouth scramble involving Lucas Pantelis.

It was Pantelis who went close next when Flores released him with a delightful through ball and the diminutive midfielder was bearing down on goal, but his skewed his shot wide.

Not long after, United midfielder Paul Reid hit a rasping drive from the edge of the area with Wellington keeper mark Paston tipping it onto the post and out.

On 70 minutes, the deadlock was finally broken when Pantelis found space on the left and whipped in a superb, pin-point cross to the back post.

Van Dijk raced in at full speed and headed home his fifth goal of the season.

A minute later and Flores doubled the Reds' lead with another goal for his highlights reel.

Dodd used his pace to burn off two defenders on the right and squared the ball to the top of the box for the Argentine, who took a touch before executing a sublime chip over Paston in the Phoenix goal.

It was Dodd who put the icing on the cake for United in the 77th minute by latching onto a long ball from Reds keeper Eugene Galekovic.

The hopeful pass bounced over two Wellington defenders and the Reds speedster was in the clear, taking a touch before smashing past Paston from 10 metres out.

Dodd limped off in injury time  with a suspected Achilles injury leaving the Reds to see out the final couple of minutes with 10 men.

Adelaide United 3 (van Dijk '71, Flores '73, Dodd '77)
Wellington Phoenix 0 
11, 206 at Hindmarsh Stadium