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08Mar24
Whinham Leads Wellington Back To Winning Ways
by Jeremy Ruane
Wellington Phoenix scored their first win on the road in the Liberty A-League in twenty weeks on March 9, Alyssa Whinham inspiring Paul Temple's charges to a richly deserved 3-1 win over Perth Glory in front of 964 fans at Macedonia Park.
It was the home team which made all the early running, Quinley Quezeda just failing to get on the end of Isobel Dalton's lobbed pass in the fourth minute, a delivery which had Tiana Jaber all at sea defensively.
Four minutes later, Hana Lowry curled in a free-kick from the right which found Dalton darting in around the back. Rylee Foster saved bravely at her feet, but copped a knee to her head for her troubles, and required a wee bit of treatment before she could continue.
With their 'keeper still recovering, Wellington could ill afford to lose one of their defensive lynchpins, but that's exactly what happened on the quarter hour after Rebecca Lake went into a challenge with Grace Jale and stayed down.
Lake's not the sort of player who'll go to ground without good reason, and the visitors' worst fears were confirmed when she was unable to continue, her injury looking like one which could sideline her for a few weeks, potentially ending what has been an impressive debut season for the level-headed central defender.
Her departure prompted Wellington to reshuffle their pack, substitute Emma Main joining Michaela Robertson in a wing-back role, while Jaber and Michaela Foster joined defensive rock Mackenzie Barry in comprising an uncompromising defensive trio.
It proved to be a winning formula, for the visitors opened the scoring in the 24th minute. Mariana Speckmaier powered through the middle, with Whinham - a terrific run from deep - and Isabel Cox in support either side of the Venezuelan, who opted for the latter.
Cox promptly delivered a measured cross to the far post which was headed home from close range by the unmarked Whinham, who couldn't contain her delight at netting just her second goal in the competition, and her first this season.
Buoyed by the goal, Wellington kept on coming, and on the half-hour Speckmaier slipped Cox through the inside left channel, only for Football Ferns defender Liz Anton to produce a vital challenge which curtailed her progress in the penalty area.
Soon after, Anton's raking free-kick downfield saw Quezada getting in behind the Wellington defence. They managed to scramble the ball to safety, but Perth were soon threatening again, Natasha Rigby's teasing cross being pawed away by Rylee Foster as Susan Phonsongkham came racing in on the far post looking to level the scores.
Wellington's goalkeeper was called upon again in the 37th minute, this time punching an inswinging corner from Lowry out from beneath her crossbar. There was no let-up from the home team, with Foster called into action again three minutes later, this time making a fine save to tip Quezada's acutely-angled shot over the bar by her near post following a quickly taken throw-in.
The equaliser Perth had been threatening finally materialised in the 42nd minute, Lowry's free-kick in from the right ricocheting into the net off the back of Wellington's captain, Michaela Foster - an "oggie".
Wellington immediately raised their game in a bid to regain the lead before the interval, Speckmaier and Cox leading the charge. The former set up the latter for a 43rd minute effort which was blocked by Izzy Foletta, while super work down the right by Cox in first half stoppage time saw her leaving two opponents in her wake before she delivered a deep cross beyond the far post.
Robertson latched onto it and laid the ball back to Main, who side-stepped between two opponents before seeing her shot deflected onto the bar by Anton. Speckmaier, who was already homing in on the target, was unable to capitalise on the rebound, the last action of note before the half-time whistle sounded.
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Perth were swiftly out of the blocks when the second spell started, Millie Farrow's volley on the turn from the edge of the area being grabbed by Rylee Foster inside the first sixty seconds of the half.
Paul Temple's charges responded via Speckmaier, whose cheeky back-heeled attempt from a long throw-in nearly caught out Morgan Aquino at her near post. But Perth's goalkeeper was beaten for a second time in the 56th minute as Wellington produced a picture postcard counter-attacking goal to regain the lead.
Fine work by Hope Breslin inside her own penalty area snuffed out the threat posed by a Perth corner and sparked a scintillating raid downfield. Cox led the charge initially, then brought Whinham into play. Hers was an adventurous run through the middle of the park, taking on three opponents before slipping a sublimely weighted pass into the stride of Robertson, who deftly tucked the ball beyond Aquino with a first-time finish - 2-1 Wellington.
Jale, who was generally well contained by her former team-mates, in large part because she lacked quality players alongside her to capitalise upon her promptings, looked to inspire a Perth equaliser soon after the goal, but Farrow's bid to reward her team-mate's industry foundered on Jaber's timely challenge in the penalty area.
Back came Wellington, Main this time leading the charge before linking with Speckmaier on the right. Her cross from the by-line was grabbed by Aquino at her near post, with Cox and Main in close attendance as the visitors looked to extend their lead, something Cox nearly did on the hour with a shot on the run from the edge of the penalty area which was only thwarted by Aquino's fine flying save to her right.
Michaela Foster's resulting corner was somehow headed over the bar from point-blank range by Main, who should have scored, and knew it! But the resulting goal kick from Perth was a poor one, Aquino gifting the ball to Cox. The goalkeeper recovered to block her shot, but was more than grateful to see Anton on the goal-line to block Speckmaier's attempt to fire home the rebound.
Aquino redeemed herself eighteen minutes from time with a superb save, flying to her left to deny Whinham after she'd received a pass from substitute Macey Fraser, then worked a one-two with Cox before dribbling through three challenges and letting fly from the edge of the area.
This was "Wonder" Whinham back to her mesmerising best, a sight we haven't seen for some time for a variety of reasons, but one that is so great to see once again, especially in tandem with her fellow creative cohort Fraser.
Both were given licence to create chaos during the final stages of this contest by the eye-catchingly performed Daisy Brazendale, who got through a power of work in the oft-unsung defensive midfield role - the soon-to-be-eighteen-year-old came of age in this match, make no mistake.
After Cox had taken on all-comers before being thwarted by the indefatigable Anton, Wellington made the game safe twelve minutes from time with a fulminating Fraser drive. Michaela Foster spotted the marauding midfielder in yards of space halfway inside Perth's half and duly delivered a pass which allowed Fraser to strut her stuff, then slam home an unstoppable twenty-five yard drive into the top far corner of the net - 3-1.
Perth sought a way back into the contest, but after Rylee Foster saved at the feet of Anton following Lowry's latest free-kick into the danger zone, the home team were resigned to their fate - a ninth game on the bounce without a win as Wellington scored their first three-point haul on West Island since October. It was well worth the wait.
Perth: Aquino; Cowart, Anton, Dalton (Lawrence, 66); Rigby, Lowry (booked, 39), Phonsongkham (Cain, 84), Foletta (Hoarau, 66); Farrow, Jale, Quezada (Stonehill, 66)
Wellington: R. Foster; Jaber, Barry, Lake (Main, 19); Robertson (Davidson, 77), Breslin (booked, 36 (Errington, 77)), Whinham (booked, 31), Brazendale, M. Foster; Cox, Speckmaier (Fraser, 65)
Referee: Georgia Ghirardello
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