The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home
20Nov22 | 26Nov22 | 04Dec22 | 10Dec22 | 17Dec22 | 02Jan23 | 07Jan23 | 15Jan23 | 22Jan23 | 29Jan23 | 12Feb23 | 26Feb23 | 04Mar23 | 11Mar23 | 18Mar23 | 25Mar23 | 28Mar23 | 01Apr23
07Jan23
Unbeaten Western Only Just Edge Wellington
by Jeremy Ruane
Liberty A-League co-leaders Western United maintained their perfect start to the season at City Vista Recreation Reserve on January 7, just edging out Wellington Phoenix 1-0 in front of 630 fans to clinch their sixth win from as many matches in their maiden campaign.
The newcomers were made to work hard for the points by the bottom-placed side, who put in a dogged performance which, on another day, would have earned them at least a share of the spoils.
Wellington began brightly in the warm and windy conditions, Michaela Robertson being thwarted by Hillary Beall's save at her feet in the fourth minute as she looked to latch onto Emma Rolston's probing through ball.
Seven minutes later, Chloe Knott intercepted a pass, prompting Ava Pritchard to lash a thirty-yarder past the post as the visitors responded to Western's early pressure, the home team forcing successive corners in the opening two minutes of play.
Wellington weren't allowing Western to get into their stride, with Robertson particularly prominent as they pressed hard, particularly on the left flank. But the alarm bells were ringing when Jessica McDonald fed the overlapping Stacey Papadopoulos in the eighteenth minute, the fullback duly picking out Hannah Keane's near post run with her cross. The striker was unable to make clean contact with the ball, however, much to Brianna Edwards' relief.
A further fifteen minutes passed before United threatened again, Keane going close from a McDonald cross. Then, nine minutes before half-time, the number nine was thrice denied in a matter of seconds.
Emma Robers sent Keane hurtling through the inside-right channel, inviting the striker to shoot. Edwards parried her first attempt, the covering figure of Marisa van der Meer blocked Keane's attempt to ram home the rebound, while the recovering figure of Edwards superbly parried the striker's final attempt to break the deadlock - the 'keeper had a game to be proud of.
Wellington mustered a rare shot at goal soon afterwards, with Milly Clegg seeing her effort blocked. But on the stroke of half-time, the visitors relied on their goalkeeper once again to ensure they went to the dressing rooms on level terms, Edwards saving at the feet of Kahli Johnson after Robers released her through the inside left channel.
That was Johnson's final contribution to proceedings, for she was replaced at half-time by Serbian international Tyla Jay Vlajnic, who was Western's star turn when the teams met in Wellington on November 26.
She only needed half a game to further bolster her status in this encounter, but before she was up to speed, Edwards thwarted Robers at close quarters as she looked to volley home Papadopoulos' 47th minute cross.
Eight minutes later, a stray pass from Mackenzie
|
Barry was pounced on by McDonald, whose pass to Keane was of the hospital variety - the striker hadn't a prayer as Barry, intent on making amends for her blemish, cleaned out Keane with a crunching yet fair tackle.
Vlajnic first threatened in the 57th minute, heading wide from a Papadopoulos cross. Two minutes later, Edwards grabbed a deflected shot from Adriana Taranto as the home team looked to maintain their winning start to the season.
Robers, Aimee Medwin and Keane then combined to present the unmarked Vlajnic with the chance to open the scoring from twenty yards, but she directed her 65th minute attempt straight at Edwards.
Two minutes later, Wellington offered a rare threat on goal, Grace Wisnewski's teasing twenty-five yard effort landing on the roof of the net following a raid in which Clegg featured prominently.
The resulting goal-kick was a poor one, much to the surprise of Pritchard, to whom the ball was gifted. She looked to pick out the quick-thinking figure of Knott, who was up in support in the blink of an eye, but Alana Cerne stepped in to prevent Wellington's stand-in captain from stunning the natives.
Wisnewski had ambitions of doing just that fifteen minutes from time, as she brought a poor clearance under control. Sadly for the midfielder, what followed was a rush of blood to the head, as her twenty yard volley sailed well wide of the target.
Three minutes later, the deadlock was broken via a free-kick. Melissa Taranto delivered a peach of a delivery from wide on the right into the heart of the penalty area. Vlajnic, racing in off the left flank, timed her run to perfection and sent a looping header into the top far corner of Edwards' goal, the sight of which saw contrasting reactions from the respective sides.
Wellington pressed hard for an equaliser in the remaining minutes, but their lack of a genuine goal threat was ultimately their undoing in a contest from which their tenacious play merited better than the sight of Western celebrating an odd-goal win come the final whistle.
If there is scope for acquiring an Australian goal-getter in the upcoming transfer window, coach Natalie Lawrence would be wise to recruit accordingly, because without an attacking outlet capable of scoring on a consistent basis, Wellington is going to be a team which continues to under-achieve at this level.
Western: Beall; Robers, Cerne, Cummings; Papadopoulos, A. Taranto, M. Taranto (Dakic, 81), Medwin (Iermano, 81); McDonald, Keane (Sinclair, 88 (booked, 90)), Johnson (Vlajnic, 46)
Wellington: Edwards; Vosper, Barry, van der Meer, Foster; Knott, Rolston (Walker, 61 (booked, 87)), Wisnewski; Clegg (McMeeken, 85), Pritchard, Robertson (Lancaster, 72)
Referee: Rebecca Durcau
|