Wellington Phoenix 1-0 Western Sydney Wanderers: Nix claim narrow win in Wellington
From continental kings to current cellar-dwellers, the Western Sydney Wanderers were looking to try and turn their poor domestic form around and kick-start their season with a victory away to the Wellington Phoenix. However, fast-forward through ninety minutes of end-to-end football and it seems the champions of Asia have been well and truly brought back down to Earth. One clinical counter-attack was all it took to send the Wanderers home empty handed and solidify their position at the bottom of the ladder. Nathan Burns’ tap-in sealed the three points for the Phoenix as they got back to winning ways at The Cake Tin (Westpac Stadium). Here’s how the match played out:
Ernie Merrick’s side returned to New Zealand after losing away to Melbourne Victory earlier in the week and appeared a determined group geared to re-establish past form. Tony Popvic’s outfit, depleted of men due to their ACL exertions, travelled across the ditch with a reshuffled line-up that saw debuts handed to Seyi Adeleke, Alusine Fofanah, and Nikita Rukavytsya.
After a slow, stuttering back and forth battle for possession opened the encounter, Alusine Fofanah had a chance to put the visitors ahead inside the opening ten minutes as Tomi Juric cleverly played the 16-year-old into the box. To the relief of the Pheonix, a desperate Louis Fenton intervention was enough to block the shot away. Not long after and it was the home side that saw their first sight on goal come to fruition as a curling cross into the Wanderers box saw the ball fall to the feet of Roly Bonevacia. But to his disappointment, the following volleyed effort was fired straight down the throat of Ante Covic.
As the first half ticked on, as well as the tempo of the game both teams began to press on in an attempt to impact the scoresheet. While Matthew Spiranovic would consider himself lucky to have handled the ball just on the edge of the area, Michael McGlinchey would be equally as disappointed with his resulting free kick as it did little in troubling the opponent’s goal. Such was the apparent lack of the final ball present within both sides.
However, the most clear-cut chance for the deadlock to be broken presented itself for the home side inside the dying seconds of the first-half. A delightful free-kick delivery by Michael McGlinchey saw the ball teasingly curl into the penalty area and avoided all contact until it reached a Louis Fenton at the back post who, with the goal at his mercy, unbelievably headed is effort wide from a mere metre away. Utter disbelief echoed around the ground. For the Wanderers: a huge let-off.
It seems this agonising miss from Wellington prompted Western Sydney to shift their game up a gear as the second half resumed with the Wanderers bursting out the blocks eager to take the lead early in the half. The red-and-black boys all dressed in white returned from the dressing room providing an onslaught of pressure onto the Phoenix back-line. As bodies swarmed the six-yard area, just as it appeared that the ball would ripple the back of the net, a combination of dependable defending and ‘Nix goalkeeper Glenn Moss throwing caution to the wind was enough to deny the intent from the visitors and keep the clean sheet intact. As the Phoenix settled once more, they too saw goal-threatening opportunities be averted away. Louis Fenton, a constant threat on goal lashed an effort at the side netting; while substitute Roy Krishna had a close-range volley blocked expertly by a recovering Spiranovic.
As the second half ensued further it was the home side that continued to dominate the match. And in the 79th minute, much to the delight of the Yellow Fever, the Phoenix found their breakthrough. Roly Bonevacia on the ball, pushed onwards with intent before feeding the ball through for Krishna; who then played a wonderful ball across goal and into the path of in-form forward Nathan Burns who was on hand to tap home with ease. It was a rapid, clinical, and duly deserved reward for the home side’s ongoing efforts.
If the frustration of the away side hadn’t already reached an infuriating high, the 85th minute signalled further woe. After McGlinchey and Adeleke tussled and tangled for the ball near the by-line of the penalty area, an apparent trip on the Phoenix playmaker left referee Lucien Laverdure with no choice but to award the home side a penalty. However, any attempt to put the result beyond doubt was well and truly denied as a resolute Ante Covic – looking to continue his Asian Champions League heroics – saved McGlinchey’s resulting spot-kick. Nevertheless, it did little in sparking any fight-back and in the end the Phoenix got the victory.
At full-time, Wellington Phoenix 1-0 Western Sydney Wanderers.
Wellington Phoenix 1 (Burns 79′) defeated Western Sydney Wanderers 0
Attendance: 7,008
FTS Man of the Match: Albert Riera
Google+
