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11Mar23
Cellar-Dwellers Wellington Stun League Leaders
by Jeremy Ruane
Wellington Phoenix turned the formbook and the Liberty A-League table upside-down at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on March 11, stunning league leaders and reigning minor premiers Sydney FC 1-0 in front of 518 fans to record just their second win of the season.
The result is the best the club has recorded in its short history, and has allowed them to surpass the points tally they recorded in their inaugural A-League season, and close to within a point of Newcastle Jets, whom they encounter in a fortnight in a match which could well decide the last place-getters in the 2022-3 season.
Sydney had a number of first-choice players unavailable for a variety of reasons, but those chosen were more than capable of doing the job and edging the perennial title challengers ever closer to a play-offs berth.
But the home team hadn't reckoned on coming up against a side which had clearly heeded the lessons from the clubs' recent North Harbour Stadium encounter, won 1-0 by Sydney a fortnight ago, and which applied their learnings from that duel with interest aplenty.
Betsy Hassett was perpetual motion personified throughout proceedings, while Michaela Foster and Chloe Knott - now the only player to have started every Wellington Phoenix fixture - were immense in a display which also witnessed eye-catching personal performances from Brianna Edwards, Mackenzie Barry, Kate Taylor and the attacking trio of Paige Satchell, Michaela Robertson and Emma Rolston.
When virtually your entire starting eleven is on point, the opposition will have to put in a shift to match it, but very few of Sydney's selection seemed to be up for the fight in the thirty degree heat, despite the home team enjoying the better of the early exchanges, during which Wellington's defensive effort was rock-solid, affording their hosts no opportunities to break the deadlock.
That situation changed on the quarter-hour, as retired Football Fern Anna Green gave her countrywomen a genuine scare. Super defending by Foster prevented Cortnee Vine from making in-roads down the right, but the corner conceded saw Mackenzie Hawkesby play the ball short to Deborah-Anne De La Harpe.
The central defender's shot wasn't cleared by Grace Wisnewski, prompting Green to unleash a dipping chipped effort which arced over all-comers. Edwards saw it late, but produced a splendid reflex save to tip the ball over the bar.
Wellington responded via long-range efforts from Knott and Wisneswki, neither of which troubled Sydney goalkeeper Katie Offer. A super tackle by Green thwarted Robertson soon afterwards, before a swashbuckling run out of defence by Satchell saw her go - via a one-two with Rolston - from near her own penalty area to Sydney's by-line, only to see her pull-back cleared by Kirsty Fenton.
The visitors kept pressing, the resulting throw-in culminating in a cross from Foster which Rolston headed into the penalty area. Knott was lurking with intent, and played the ball up into the air before launching into a 23rd minute bicycle kick which would have claimed "Goal of the Season" honours had her connection under pressure been clean.
The captain's intent was there for all to see, however, and was mirrored by her team-mates all over the park. Taylor's determined defending put paid to a slick move down the right featuring Vine and Rachel Lowe, who was enjoying a rare moment of freedom - the Junior Ferns' skipper had the striker in her back pocket for the majority of Lowe's hour on the pitch.
Satchell was relishing the chance to torment her old team, and set off on another dazzling run down the right on the half-hour, side-stepping a challenge before seeing her fifteen-yarder turned round the post by Offer.
This prompted a Foster corner, which was only cleared as far as Taylor, lurking some eight yards out from goal. She watched the dropping ball, swivelled and slammed a volley beyond the goalkeeper's dive to give Wellington a 32nd minute lead which they would not relinquish.
Sydney looked to strike back in fairly short order through Sarah Hunter, who blazed over after beating Wisnewksi. Wellington responded via the combination of Knott and Barry, whose buccaneering run down the right past two opponents culminated in Robertson presenting Hassett with the chance to let rip from twenty yards.
Her first-time effort lacked accuracy, however, while in the shadows of the half-time whistle,
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Foster and Robertson worked a one-two on the left which saw the fullback's super cross deceive Offer and find Satchell beyond the far post. She headed it back into the goalmouth, but no one in a yellow-and-black shirt was on hand to capitalise.
The home team started the second spell with a sense of urgency, Edwards forced to save at the feet of Lowe five minutes after play resumed, the striker having been played in by Vine, who looked on as the action soon switched to the other end of a ground formerly known as Kogarah Oval.
Wellington responded strongly, Barry sending Satchell down the right at pace, her run eventually resulting in a cross to the near post, where Rolston was arriving on cue. Her flick was turned round the post by Offer, who looked on with relief as Rolston headed Foster's resulting corner just past the far post.
On the hour, a Foster free-kick from distance wasn't cleared, affording Rolston another chance to score against her old club. She miscued her attempt, to which Sydney responded by producing their best spell in the match.
Hawkesby's through ball for substitute Rola Badawiya was well anticipated by Foster, who scurried across to clear the danger. Then, in the 65th minute, Vine and fifteen-year-old substitute Indiana Dos Santos combined on the right, the latter's blocked shot breaking kindly for Princess Ibini, whose shot drew a sprawling save to her left by Edwards.
The 'keeper kept out a Badawiya effort soon after, to which Wellington substitute Milly Clegg responded by scampering down the right in the 73rd minute. She evaded the covering defence before lashing a shot across Offer, who plunged to her right to turn the ball round the far post. Had Clegg opted for a near post curler, however, the lead would have been doubled - Offer's positioning was not what it could have been.
Foster nearly scored direct from the resulting corner, Badawiya heading off the line by the far post. The newest Football Fern nearly repeated the dose in the dying minutes, Marisa van der Meer heading over under pressure from Badawiya as the upright loomed large in the eyesight of both players.
Before then, however, there were further chances at both ends of the park. Hawkesby led a Sydney counter-attack fifteen minutes from time, and continued her run downfield after unleashing the pace of Vine upon a back-pedalling Wellington rearguard.
Three opponents later, the speedster invited the midfielder to let fly, but the fast-approaching figure of Edwards diverted her shot just past the far upright, with Taylor was covering having raced back to cover the goal which her 'keeper had vacated in order to keep her team in front. Edwards' reaction after producing the save was priceless - she was desperate to play her part in a rare Wellington win, and her excited jump for joy showed just how much that was the case.
Eight minutes from time, it was Wellington's turn to threaten again, with Robertson under the spotlight on this occasion. Winning the ball on halfway, she combined with Foster and Hassett before hitting the turbo boost button to leave Charlize Rule in her slipstream. The smallest player on the park accelerated into the area before lashing a low drive beyond Offer but inches past the far post.
Foster's aforementioned 89th minute corner aside, Sydney piled on the pressure in the time remaining. The unmarked Dos Santos sent a twenty-yarder narrowly over the bar on receipt of Hunter's pass, while Edwards saved at the feet of Badawiya to thwart a slick move involving Fenton, Dos Santos, Ibini and Vine.
Wellington counter-attacked late in the contest, Hassett and Clegg working a one-two down the right before the midfielder saw her shot ricochet off Green to Zoe McMeeken, who gleefully poked the ball home, only to be denied by the offside flag, much to the substitute's dismay.
But joy wasn't far away for the visiting side, the sound of the final whistle prompting scenes of delight amongst the Wellington team, who richly deserved this 1-0 win, one which they've been building towards. That their triumph came at the home of the league leaders makes it all the sweeter.
Sydney: Offer; Rule, De Le Harpe, Green, Fenton (booked, 90); Vine, Hawkesby, Hunter, Stanic-Floody (booked, 49) (Dos Santos, 51); Lowe (Badawiya, 61), Ibini
Wellington: Edwards; Barry, van der Meer, Taylor, Foster (booked, 45); Knott, Hassett, Wisnewski (Whinham, 74); Satchell (Clegg, 61), Rolston (Pritchard, 74), Robertson (McMeeken, 85)
Referee: Caitlin Williams
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