Adelaide United coach Josep Gombau says it’s too early to declare his A-League giant-killers are genuine championship contenders.

But he can’t see any reason why the Reds can’t take the title after claiming another big scalp on Sunday with a 1-0 home win against Western Sydney Wanderers.

Adelaide have toppled league leaders Brisbane Roar and the second-placed Wanderers in consecutive games.

Gombau’s outfit on Sunday rose from ninth to fifth on a cluttered A-League ladder, stretching their unbeaten run to six games – but the Spaniard said it was premature to talk of United as a legitimate title chance.

“It is early to say this. Honestly, it’s not in our plan or our mind,” Gombau said after his gifted Argentine Marcelo Carrusca scored the match-winner against the Wanderers.

“It is more to build this project and, in the long-term, fight for this (title).

“What we need to is go game by game.”

Even so, Gombau said a title was possible.

“Why not?,” he said.

“The teams are very equal, why not … you never know.

“But honestly, our philosophy is to create this club in the long-term.

“Of course we want to win every single game and we will fight for every single game and if, in the end, we are in the finals – perfect.

“But not now, to win two games and think to be the champions, because there are a lot of very good teams in the league.”

In other round 15 action, Wellington Phoenix continued their form surge with Saturday’s stunning 5-0 defeat of Melbourne Victory.

“We have threatened to do it several times but we dominated the game from end to end … it all came together and now the challenge is to repeat that,” Phoenix boss Ernie Merick said.

Also Saturday, Central Coast Mariners downed Sydney FC 1-0 to leave the Sky Blues’ coach Frank Farina seething.

“I expected a better reaction after the goal. If I’m not going to get that then I’ll try players that hopefully will,” said Farina.

On Friday night, Melbourne Heart ended its 19-game winless stretch with a 3-1 triumph against a lacklustre Newcastle Jets, while Perth Glory played a scoreless draw with Brisbane Roar.