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Wellington Come From Behind To Down Western Sydney
by Jeremy Ruane
Wellington Phoenix scored two super second half goals to clinch a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Western Sydney Wanderers at Jerry Collins Stadium on March 9, in so doing reviving their hopes of making the Ninja A-League Women's play-offs in the 2024-25 campaign.
There was an early scare for the home team when Alivia Kelly got in Carolina Vilao's way as she came to gather a third minute cross, a feat the 'keeper achieved at the second attempt after initially colliding with her defender.
Wellington put that early scare behind them, and were the better side over the course of the next fifteen minutes, during which they carved out three chances. Alyssa Whinham and Annalie Longo combined neatly in midfield, the latter finding Manaia Elliott ranging up on the left.
Her shot fizzed across the face of goal, the same destiny which befell Olivia Fergusson's header in the tenth minute, as she got on the end of a Longo corner to the near post. And from another set-piece - a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area in the nineteenth minute, Emma Main squandered a fabulous chance to open the scoring.
Western Sydney counter-attacked instantly, and were aided by Kelly this time getting in Lara Wall's way on the left. Former Wellington player Cushla Rue rampaged down the right before setting up Sienna Saveska to let fly from the edge of the penalty area. Vilao blocked her effort, but Rue, following in, fired the rebound wildly over the bar.
Halfway through the first half, Western Sydney opened the scoring, and Kelly was again to the fore for all the wrong reasons. Receiving a pass from Elliott, who suffered three separate blows to the head in this clash, including a ball driven into her from point-blank range, Kelly allowed the sphere to run past her and immediately found herself under pressure from Bronte Trew.
Kelly was hoping Vilao would get her out of trouble, but Trew exploited the hesitance between the two, outpacing the defender before rounding the stranded goalkeeper and rolling the ball home into an empty net.
The visitors twice went close to doubling their lead in the next ten minutes, Saveska landing a free-kick from wide out on the roof of the net before delivering a wickedly struck corner to the far post which Vilao was forced to paw out from beneath her crossbar.
In between times, Main scooped a great chance over the bar from six yards after a Longo corner wasn't cleared. And after Vilao spilled then grabbed a Danika Matos twenty-yarder, the home team piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser before the interval.
Whinham and Main worked a one-two on the right which saw the twinkle-toed playmaker send a defender for an Echo before fizzing in a low cross which Fergusson, arriving at the near post, directed against the post.
Longo then worked a one-two with Whinham before picking out Fergusson with another low cross, one which the striker steered past the post from eight yards. And on the stroke of half-time, Main and Kelly - by now switched to a fullback role from the central defensive position in which she started the match - worked a one-two on the right which culminated in the striker delivering a teasing cross which Fergusson couldn't control - 1-0 to the visitors it remained.
Wellington wasted little time in setting out their stall for the second spell, Main whipping in a cross
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which goalkeeper Shamiran Khamis grabbed before Elliott, arriving on cue on the far post, could capitalise, a threat to which Wests responded in the 51st minute.
Amy Chessari and Olivia Price opened up the defence for the benefit of Trew, but the covering figure of Maya McCutcheon, who was imperious in her makeshift central defensive role in the absence of the injured Mackenzie Barry, put enough pressure on the striker to reduce her options to a low percentage shot, one which Vilao turned round the post.
Back came Paul Temple's charges, Longo launching the ball forward for Elliott, who created an opening out of nothing and whipped in a cross to the near post which Fergusson, with a flying header, sent flashing past the upright.
In the 57th minute, Khamis pulled off a superb double save to keep the visitors in front on the scoreboard. Main played Whinham in through the inside right channel, from where she struck a rocket which Khamis did well to parry. The ball rebounded to Elliott, whose attempt to volley home was turned round the post by the recovering goalkeeper.
Wellington kept piling on the pressure, with Longo lashing a twenty-yarder a yard over the bar halfway through the second spell. Substitute Mebae Tanaka then teamed up with her captain, but Longo's cross for Whinham was scrambled clear by Western Sydney's rearguard.
Tanaka put Amy Harrison under enormous pressure in the 69th minute, forcing a back-pass to Khamis, who cleared under pressure from the charging Japanese player. When Khamis and Tanaka next set eyes on each other, it was Wellington who were much the happier with the outcome.
As equalisers go, this was a belter! Fifteen minutes from time, Longo's corner was cleared to Tanaka, who from fifteen yards out on the angle, unleashed an absolute rocket which screamed over Khamis' head and into the roof of the net via the top corner of the net - 1-1, and how!
Now all the momentum was with Wellington - Vilao was largely a spectator throughout the second spell. Longo delivered another corner which the visitors failed to clear, allowing Zoe McMeeken to head the ball back into the danger zone, fellow substitute Olivia Ingham her target.
She failed to capitalise on the opportunity, while Fergusson just failed to get on the end of an angled cross from McMeeken seconds later. But when the pair combined again in the 86th minute, the winning goal was the result, McMeeken's cross to the near post being volleyed home superbly into the top far corner by Fergusson, who has now struck in each of her last three games.
The home team saw out the game well in the time remaining, although they were given a scare deep in stoppage time when Western Sydney substitute Amelia Bennett found herself in yards of space on the right. But she snatched at the opportunity from twenty-five yards, confirming Wellington's come-from-behind 2-1 win, which takes them to within a point of the play-off positions with five games still to play.
Wellington: Vilao; Jaber, McCutcheon, Kelly (McMeeken, 73), Wall; Whinham (Ingham, 73), Brazendale, Longo; Main (booked, 30 (Abbott, 88)), Fergusson, Elliott (Tanaka, 61)
West. Syd.: Khamis; Buchanan, McComasky, Harrison, Matos; Chessari, Price (Kapetanellis, 87), Harada; Rue (Bennett, 67), Trew (Caspers, 76), Saveska (Younis, 76)
Referee: Isabella Mossin
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