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16Dec23
Wellington Pay Heavy Price For Profligate Finishing
by Jeremy Ruane
Adelaide United scored a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Wellington Phoenix in their Liberty A-League encounter at the Marden Sports Complex on 16 December, a game the visitors should have had wrapped up by half-time had they taken any of the host of chances they carved out.
They set out their stall inside 85 seconds, Emma Main letting fly with a dipping twenty-five yarder after spotting United 'keeper Annalee Grove off her line. While the ball didn't dip enough on this occasion, Wellington should have opened the scoring in the fifth minute, but neither Main nor Kate Taylor could get the vital touch on Michaela Foster's angled free-kick into the goalmouth.
Adelaide mustered their first goal threat in the ninth minute, Chelsie Dawber's driving run to the by-line past Rebecca Lake resulting in a cross to the far post which had Hannah Blake's name written all over it until Rylee Foster launched herself off her line to haul in the ball.
Wellington squandered another golden chance to open the scoring in the twelfth minute. Macey Fraser - the most creative player on the park - split the defence with a scrumptious pass from inside the centre circle, sending Mariana Speckmaier storming through the inside left channel.
The striker hurtled goalwards and lured Grove off her line before firing the ball past her, only to see it cannon to safety off the base of the left-hand upright - a real let-off for Adelaide, who, after Mackenzie Barry had raced back to cut out a pass from her fellow Football Fern Blake, went behind on the scoreboard in the 21st minute.
Once again, it was a through ball from Fraser which did the damage, this time through the inside right channel. Main was the beneficiary on this occasion, and she made no mistake with a low finish past Grove - 1-0 Wellington.
United looked to hit back straight from the kick-off, Dylan Holmes scooting down the right and crossing on the run, only to find that no one in red had kept up with her. But the home team persisted with their pursuit of an equaliser, and only a superbly timed tackle by Lake prevented Mariah Lee from latching onto Alana Jancevski's through ball in the 28th minute.
Seconds later, both Blake and Lee were denied by Rylee Foster, the former after beating Michaela Foster, the latter by the 'keeper's save at her feet. Barry cleaned up the mess, but seconds later, the impressively performed Blake was in again, only to see Wellington's goalkeeper saving at her feet as well.
After Fraser had chipped one over the bar from the edge of the penalty area, Wellington spurned a glorious chance to double their lead in the 34th minute. Fraser spotted Annalie Longo's angled run from left to right and delivered a delectable pass which her captain instantly preyed on. Longo swiftly delivered a low cross to the near post, where Manaia Elliott was arriving on cue, only to fire over from six yards under pressure - she should have hit target, minimum.
Seconds later, Longo saw a shot blocked for a corner after Elliott set her up with a cross from the left. Foster's resulting corner to the far post found Lake racing in behind all-comers, but she was unable to direct the ball on target.
Foster and Elliott combined via a 38th minute one-two to create an opening for Main, whose cross to the far post found the unmarked figure of Speckmaier poised to pounce. The striker somehow headed past the post - another chance gone begging, one which, at the very least, should have been on target and forced Grove into action.
The 'keeper was mightily relieved she hadn't been called upon, however, but after her opposite number comfortably dealt with a tame twenty-yarder from United captain Isabel Hodgson, Grove's goal came under threat again, this time in first half stoppage time.
Foster's free-kick was cleared to Fraser, who combined with Lake to play in Main. Her first-time twenty-yarder curled inches past the far post, prompting a last-gasp Adelaide attack which saw Jancevski go down under Barry's challenge in the area.
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While Adelaide appealed in vain for a penalty, Wellington sent the ball downfield sharpish, Speckmaier leading the charge. She picked out Longo with her cross, but after beating a defender, she ran out of real estate, prompting the half-time whistle.
United made a half-time change, with Sarah Morgan introduced to add some mongrel to their midfield. She made an instant impact, introducing herself to Fraser in a manner which left the playmaker wondering if she'd been hit by a ten-ton truck!
Morgan meant business, and so did Adelaide, Nanako Sasaki and Ella Tonkin both giving Rylee Foster reason to grab the ball in the first ten minutes of the second half, during which time Grove scrambled a well-struck twenty yard grasscutter from Fraser round the post after Main had seen her shot on the turn blocked by Tonkin.
Wellington had three players booked in the first twelve minutes of the second spell as they reacted to Adelaide's greater aggression, but it was the visitors who created the next opening in the match, Main's through ball inviting Speckmaier to race through the offside trap. Grove was alert to the danger, however, and raced out of her penalty area to just clear her lines with the striker a stride away from exploiting the opportunity.
United kept plugging away, their persistence becoming a problem for Wellington, and one began to wonder if those missed chances would come back to haunt them. Sure enough, after Lake had blocked a shot from Blake, the home team equalised, Lake failing to head clear a raking clearance, allowing Dawber to storm through on goal from halfway, fifteen minutes from time.
She got to the edge of the penalty area, only to be thwarted by a superbly timed tackle from Rylee Foster, who quickly got to her feet as Emily Condon latched onto the loose ball. The substitute rounded the goalkeeper and let fly from the edge of the penalty area, the ball bisecting Barry and Hailey Davidson en route to hitting the back of the net the retreating defenders were striving to protect.
Wellington's substitutes were ineffective in this contest, and one of them, Michaela Robertson, for whom this was her first appearance of the campaign, needlessly conceded possession ten minutes from time.
Blake led the counter-attack, combining with Holmes to play in Dawber, who was again denied in fine fashion by Rylee Foster. Wellington looked to hit back on the counter-attack, with Fraser's inviting through ball unleashing Robertson's speed. She powered into the penalty area, but Grove stood her ground - 1-1 it remained.
But not for long. After Barry's timely interception prevented Morgan from stealing in on the left, then diverted a Dawber drive into the side-netting on the opposite side of the pitch seconds later, Adelaide took the lead in unlikely fashion five minutes from time.
A negligible free-kick wide on the Adelaide left invited Sasaki to fire the ball into the danger zone. All game long, Rylee Foster had gobbled up anything above head height, but on this occasion, she badly misjudged the ball as it arced out of the sun, and looked on in horror as it sailed into the far side of the net behind her.
Adelaide's joy was uncontained, and now they had the bit between their teeth, they were determined to maintain their 2-1 lead, and record a first home win in nine months. Truth be told, Wellington never looked like responding once they went behind, and the home team proved more than capable of retaining their advantage throughout six minutes of stoppage time to record their first win of the campaign and climb off the bottom of the table.
Adelaide: Grove; I. Hodgson, Tonkin, Waldus, E. Hodgson; Dawber (Holtz, 90), Holmes, Sasaki, Jancevski (Morgan, 46), Blake (Bowler, 83); Lee (Condon, 67)
Wellington: R. Foster; Davidson, Barry, Lake (booked, 46), M. Foster (McMeeken, 81); Longo (Whinham, 72), Taylor, Fraser; Elliott (booked, 54 (Breslin, 55)), Main (booked, 56 (Robertson, 72)), Speckmaier
Referee: Rebecca Durcau
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