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020225
Poor Decision Sees Brisbane Edge Wellington
by Jeremy Ruane
A poor decision by referee Molly Godsell saw Brisbane Roar awarded a goal which ultimately decided their Ninja A-League Women's encounter with Wellington Phoenix at Perry Park on February 2, the home team prevailing 1-0 in front of 2,866 fans, the biggest crowd the visitors have experienced home or away this season.
Wellington were the better team early doors, dominating Brisbane in a manner which the home team aren't used to - possession of the ball. Yet it was Alex Smith's team which fashioned the first chance of the match, in the ninth minute, with Tameka Yallop's shot being blocked by Mackenzie Barry.
The visitors responded via Grace Jale and Daisy Brazendale, who combined to send Manaia Elliott down the right. She outpaced the defence before picking out Alyssa Whinham, whose shot from the edge of the area was directed straight at Olivia Sekany.
After Carolina Vilao had capably dealt with a tame shot from Yallop, Maya McCutcheon sent Lara Wall flying down the left, the fullback eventually delivering a cross which targeted Whinham. She evaded one challenge but was thwarted by Leia Varley as she attempted to open the scoring on the quarter hour.
Great work by Whinham and Jale - a clever back-heeled pass - five minutes later opened the door for Elliott to raid down the right once again, but she was closed down well by Emily Pringle, who was turned by Whinham in the 28th minute after the talented playmaker had been picked out by Elliott's free-kick.
Whinham this time stung the gloves of Sekany for a second time, and repeated the dose again just sixty seconds later, having lashed a fifteen-yarder narrowly over the crossbar five minutes earlier, an opportunity arising from Jale's willingness to defend from the front, which on this occasion forced a rushed clearance from Brisbane's goalkeeper.
Soon after, Varley was forced to depart the fray with an injury, which forced Brisbane to reshuffle their pack somewhat, given the defender was replaced by a striker in the shape of Evdokiya Popadinova. In the aftermath, coach Smith earned a booking from referee Godsell, not the last time she would make a controversial ruling in this contest.
Wellington had forced a number of corners during the first half, all of which had been dealt with by Brisbane's rearguard. But when Annalie Longo whipped in her latest delivery, in the 44th minute, Jale met the ball with a header which crept narrowly past the far post.
Soon after, Alivia Kelly pinged the ball over the top for Elliott to pursue, the flank player getting in behind the defence then lashing an acute-angled drive narrowly over the far angle of Sekany's goal to bring this scoreless first half to a close.
Tropical downpours had punctuated play during the first half, and they continued in the second spell, a half which Wellington, as they did in the first spell, began on the front foot. Elliott was again influential, winning the ball before combining with Whinham to present Jale with a chance. A fiercely struck drive cannoned into the side-netting in the 47th minute.
Two minutes later, Grace Kuilamu, widely regarded as Australian women's football's next major talent, took on Wall, who defended the situation splendidly, forcing the striker to seek alternatives.
Laini Freier was one option, and was duly chosen. She looked to work a one-two with Yallop, who produced a peach of a return pass. Alas for Brisbane, Tiana Jaber was monitoring the situation, and stepped in at precisely the right moment to shepherd the ball back to Vilao.
Urged on by their fans, Brisbane came desperately close to breaking the deadlock in the 58th minute, Kuilamu rattling the post with a twenty-yarder after McCutcheon was caught in possession by Zara
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Kruger, having been sold short by a poor pass out of defence.
Four minutes later, the deadlock was broken, but referee Godsell got this call way wrong! Yallop delivered a corner right into the zone, Freier challenging - and impeding - Vilao as she attempted to punch clear. The ball dropped perfectly for Kuilamu to bundle home from six yards.
Wellington's players were furious, and with every justification. This was a foul on the 'keeper as plain as the nose on your face, but the referee was blind to this obvious indiscretion, and awarded the goal.
The visitors threw caution to the wind, introducing all their substitutes to the fray within twelve minutes of this setback. Meanwhile, Brisbane went in search of a second goal, Vilao forced to race out of her penalty area and clear off the toes of Freier as she pursued Yallop's through ball in the 67th minute, to which Wellington responded via Elliott, who landed a shot on the roof of the net after Olivia Fergusson and Whinham had opened up Brisbane's left flank.
Twenty minutes from time, Kuilamu pounced on a stray pass from Kelly and surged forward before finding Yallop in space. Vilao did well to block her effort, ably supported by Barry, whose timely intervention prevented Yallop from pouncing on the rebound.
After solid work by Longo had produced an opening for Jale - her fifteen-yarder fizzed narrowly past the far post, Brisbane went desperately close to doubling their lead when another Yallop corner wasn't cleared. Isabela Hoyos scooped the ball over the bar from six yards when scoring seemed easier.
Back came Wellington, Mebae Tanaka and Jale playing in Emma Main on the right, but her cross took a deflection and was safely gathered by Sekany, whose goal came under siege inside the last ten minutes of play.
Longo's set-piece deliveries were so frequent, they had grounds for earning Air New Zealand Airpoints, but Brisbane's defence managed to deal with virtually all of them, fortuitously for the most part, although not so in the case of Alicia Woods - she had a great game for the locals, barely putting a foot wrong throughout the contest.
Six minutes from time, Paul Temple's titans produced a lovely flowing move which deserved better fate. Wall, Tanaka, Jale, Longo and Main were all involved, the last-mentioned firing in a cross which Sekany could only punch out to Tanaka.
She squared the ball to Longo, who turned and unleashed a shot which took a deflection and flew over the bar, much to the relief of the wrong-footed Sekany, who kept out a fierce drive from Fergusson soon afterwards.
Still they pressed, debutant Amelia Abbott heading past the post following another Longo free-kick, before Tanaka motored down the right before looking to pick out Main, arriving on cue at the near post. Alas for the visitors, Sekany got there first, and snuffed out their last scoring opportunity.
Brisbane hit the crossbar through Papadinova in the dying minutes - Longo was furious that the ball hadn't been called out of play by the officials prior to the striker pulling the trigger - but they had already done enough damage as far as Wellington was concerned, a poor decision influencing the outcome on the scoreboard, although the visitors can't say they didn't have enough opportunities to fashion a goal themselves either side of that which settled this contest.
Brisbane: Sekany; De La Harpe, Hoyos, Varley (Popadinova, 31), Blissett, Pringle; Yallop, Woods, Kruger, Freier (Hecher, 89); Kuilamu (Morris, 87)
Wellington: Vilao; Jaber, Kelly (booked, 38 (Abbott, 74)), Barry, Wall; Elliott (Main, 74), McCutcheon (booked, 88), Brazendale (Fergusson, 65), Longo; Jale, Whinham (Tanaka, 74)
Referee: Molly Godsell
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