The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home
011124 | 101124 | 171124 | 221124 | 081224 | 131224 | 211224 | 281224 | 040125 | 090125 | 120125 | 190125 | 260125 | 020225 | 080225 | 160225
080225
Wellington Fail To Build On Strong Start
by Jeremy Ruane
Wellington Phoenix failed to capitalise on a super start in their Ninja A-League Women's clash with Melbourne Victory at Jerry Collins Stadium on February 8, the visitors capitalising on a defensive error to earn a point from a 1-1 draw in front of 1015 fans, Wellington's biggest home crowd this season.
Hot on the attack from the outset, Paul Temple's charges earned a corner, and Annalie Longo's pinpoint delivery to the near post found Maya McCutcheon dashing in to meet the ball and head home from close range, just 93 seconds into the contest.
Within two minutes, however, Melbourne could have drawn level. Wellington were still celebrating when Sara D'Appolonia stole in behind the defence and fired a shot which Carolina Vilao parried.
The home team temporarily cleared the danger, but when Alex Chidiac took possession, she had one thing only in mind, and promptly let fly. The ball struck Alivia Kelly and changed direction, which wasn't good news for the already diving Vilao. But she produced a reflex save with her outstretched leg to maintain Wellington's early advantage.
The home team were well up for this game, certainly when compared to their listless opponents, and kept on coming as the match wore on. In the ninth minute, Longo and the impressive Lara Wall worked a one-two on the left before bringing Alyssa Whinham into play. She fed McCutcheon, who invited Tiana Jaber to let fly from 35 yards, a shot which Courtney Newbon grabbed greedily.
Seven minutes later, Whinham sent Wall careering down the left, where she earned a corner. This was cleared to Manaia Elliott, who lobbed the ball back into the danger zone. Melbourne failed to clear the danger, presenting McCutcheon with an opportunity to double her own and her team's tally, one she guided over the bar with a cushioned volley.
Two minutes later, McCutcheon pounced on a stray pass and fed Elliott, who evaded two challenges before rattling the side-netting from an acute angle. She then headed past the post eight minutes later, Wall having whipped in an early cross on the run which undid Melbourne's rearguard.
The visitors were well off their game on this occasion, and Whinham was feeling their ire, with D'Appolonia and Laura Pickett taking out their frustrations on the talented playmaker - the former, in particular, got away with a very naughty off-the-ball blow which literally stopped Whinham dead, disbelief doubtless contributing to her reaction.
She recovered, and continued to contribute to a lively affair which opened up as the half wore on, attack and counter-attack foiled at every turn by solid defensive efforts, with Football Ferns Mackenzie Barry and Claudia Bunge prominent at either end of the park - a good sign given they'll likely be the defensive rocks at the heart of the national team's rearguard against Costa Rica in a fortnight's time.
Both goalkeepers were eventually called into action in the latter stages of the half, Vilao gathering another D'Appolonia effort before Newbon dashed out to prevent Olivia Fergusson from latching onto a through ball from Jaber.
Melbourne's 'keeper was also tested by Longo and Grace Jale - a quiet first half display - in the shadows of the half-time whistle, the former after a super move which also featured contributions from Wall, Jale and Whinham, as Wellington once more raided down the left.
Wellington continued to enjoy the upper hand in the early stages of the second spell. A clever free-kick routine saw Longo and Whinham work a short routine with Elliott, who drew a parried save from
|
Newbon.
Unfortunately for the home team, the ball rebounded to a Melbourne defender, who cleared the danger and sparked an attack which saw the largely anonymous Emily Gielnik fire well wide from distance.
Back came Wellington, Whinham, Wall, Longo and Jale combining to present Elliott with another chance. Pickett's intervention at the vital moment prevented the likely Football Fern debutant from being able to double her team's lead.
Melbourne coach Jeff Hopkins turned to his bench on the hour, and both substitutes made an instant impact. Barry directed a cross-field pass straight to the newly introduced Holly Furphy, who set sail downfield, only to see her attempted pass to Rachel Lowe cut out by Kelly.
The ball fell to Jaber to complete the clearance, but inexplicably, the otherwise rock-solid defender directed the ball straight to the other newcomer, Nickoletta Flannery, who thrashed the ball past Vilao and into the bottom far corner of the net to level the scores in the 61st minute, very much against the run of play.
Wellington were shell-shocked, but quickly got back on the bike as they sought to restore their long-held advantage. Fergusson and Kelly both tested Newbon from the edge of the area, the latter following a surging run forward having been released by Jaber, who herself survived a solid test moments earlier, stopping Furphy in her tracks with a brilliantly timed tackle in the penalty area - it could so easily have been a spot-kick had she got it wrong.
Substitutes were introduced by Wellington as they sought to change the scoreline, among them the 2023 Lotto Northern Premier Women's League Young Player of the Year, Ela Jerez, whose professional football debut this was.
Fellow newcomer to the fray, Emma Main, spurned a great chance to regain the lead eleven minutes from time, when played through by Longo. A poor first touch was her undoing, allowing Newbon to thwart the danger.
Six minutes later, Wellington threatened again, Jaber and Elliott working a one-two on the right, with the defender's cross targeting Main as she arrived at the near post. Bunge read the danger, and averted it in fine fashion.
Immediately, Melbourne counter-attacked, Gielnik racing through on the right to find herself with just Vilao to beat, a feat she failed to accomplish thanks to the goalkeeper's positioning and shot-stopping prowess at close quarters.
Stoppage time beckoned, and so did a match-winning goal. McCutcheon attempted to deliver it, pouncing on a stray pass then racing on before unleashing a twenty-yarder which Newbon saved well to her right.
The visitors responded by earning a corner. Chidiac's delivery was right in the zone, but with a posse of Melbournians queueing up to head the ball home, Vilao got a paw on it to divert it to safety and ensure parity would prevail in this encounter, a result which leaves Wellington just outside the top six, but needing to rediscover winning ways swiftly - just one victory in their last five games is not great form at this stage of the campaign.
Wellington: Vilao; Jaber (Abbott, 87), Kelly, Barry, Wall; Whinham (Jerez, 74), McCutcheon, Longo; Elliott, Fergusson (Main, 74), Jale
Melbourne: Newbon; Bunge, Curtis, Morrison; Pickett, Murphy, D'Appolonia (Flannery, 60), Janecevski (Furphy, 60); Gielnik, Chidiac, Lowe
Referee: Kelly Jones
|