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18Mar23
Perth Fend Off Persistent Wellington
by Jeremy Ruane
An early Perth Glory goal proved decisive at Sky Stadium on March 18, as the visitors fended off a persistent Wellington Phoenix challenge 1-0 in a Liberty A-League encounter watched by 850 fans.
The scoreline doesn't reflect the home team's dominance in the contest, but for the sixth time this season, they've lost a game by the odd goal because they lack an out-and-out goal-getter to do justice to the industry and endeavour of those carving out the opportunities.
Where rival clubs have recruited from abroad to give them an edge in the final third of the pitch, Wellington opted to give local talent the chance to provide that goalscoring power in the two seasons they've existed, and, but for a purple patch in late January, when eight goals were scored in two games, the scoreboard operators have been little troubled by Natalie Lawrence's charges.
Perth are one of those rivals who've secured the services of an overseas-based striker, and it was US native Cyera Hintzen's eleventh minute strike which separated the teams at the end of this encounter.
Wellington's poor passing in their defensive third presented Perth with the chance to break the deadlock, Hintzen swooping on a stray pass before slipping the ball back to Ella Mastrantonio. She picked out Hana Lowry, whose deft lay-off invited Hintzen to power into the penalty area and pummel a low drive across the diving figure of Brianna Edwards and into the bottom far corner of the net for what proved to be the game's only goal.
The home team had threatened to open the scoring five minutes before Perth did the honours. Michaela Robertson sparked a counter-attack in which Paige Satchell - a constant menace to the visitors' left flank throughout proceedings - tore down the right before bringing Emma Rolston into play. Her cross for Robertson went just behind the pint-sized powerhouse, allowing Perth to breathe easier for now.
Five minutes after opening the scoring, the visitors threatened to double their advantage. Football Fern Hannah Blake fed the overlapping Natasha Rigby, whose low cross, which targeted Hintzen, was hastily cleared to safety by Marisa van der Meer.
The resulting corner from Lowry picked out the head of Liz Anton, but the Football Ferns defender had the misfortune to see her downward header bounce up and over the bar from six yards - a real let-off for Wellington, who were roused from their slumbers by this close call.
Satchell led the charge, surging down the right in the eighteenth minute before cutting inside and unleashing a shot which squirmed through the hands and legs of Perth goalkeeper Sarah Langman. Thankfully for the visitors, she was able to spare her blushes by recovering the sphere before it rolled over the line.
Two minutes later, Kate Taylor picked out Satchell with a pass which saw the speedster link up with Betsy Hassett. She ran on before inviting Robertson to the party, but her curled effort arced past the far post.
Perth responded with a 23rd minute raid in which Sofia Sakalis broke down the left before pulling the ball back to Hintzen. The goalscorer held off a challenge before inviting Lowry to let fly, a shot with which she should have hit the target. But her effort curled past the post, much to the relief of Edwards, who had precious little else to do in the match, truth be told.
That's because her team-mates were now in the groove, with captain Chloe Knott directing operations. She invited Satchell to let fly from twenty-five yards in the 26th minute, an effort which was deflected to safety, then was unable to make the most of a Satchell-inspired raid which saw her cross beyond the far post headed back inside by Robertson but, crucially, behind the incoming figure of Knott, who recovered possession but was unable to turn and shoot.
On the half-hour, Michaela Foster intercepted a Perth pass and powered out of defence and over the halfway line before feeding Hassett, who evaded one challenge before finding Rigby to be one opponent too many.
Robertson and Satchell were prominent in Wellington's next raid, but the latter's cross to the far post lacked the accuracy to reward Grace Wisnewski's off-the-ball run - once Satchell aligns her searing pace with consistently precise delivery, she will take her game to another level, and both Wellington and the Football Ferns will be the leading beneficiaries.
Seven minutes before half-time, Knott worked one-twos with van der Meer and Satchell before sending the speedster scampering down the right once more. This time, Satchell got in a near post cross with which Rolston just failed to connect. Unfortunately, Robertson, following up, was unable to capitalise.
Mackenzie Barry, Hassett and Satchell teamed up five minutes later to cause Perth more problems, only for Anton to intervene and prevent Rolston from capitalising on Satchell's cross.
Robertson was unable to retain possession in the immediate aftermath, but it wasn't long before the
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home team was again asking the question of their opponents, this time in the shadows of the half-time whistle. Foster's ball in was headed out by Anton to Hassett, who thrashed a low drive through the legs of her international team-mate, only to see Langman smother the shot, ensuring the teams would head to the dressing rooms with Perth a goal to the good.
The second half was one-way traffic, the visitors finding themselves under siege from a Wellington team which came out all guns blazing and never stopped pulling the trigger! Referee Isabella Libri wasn't interested in Rolston's penalty appeals as she went down under the challenge of veteran Matildas defender Kim Carroll, while Robertson was unable to bring the ball down after Foster's 51st minute free-kick wasn't cleared.
Rolston stung the gloves of Langman from twenty-five yards soon after, while Perth's failure to clear Foster's 53rd minute corner saw van der Meer ram the loose ball goalwards from six yards, only for the unsighted figure of Langman to produce a superb scrambled save which diverted the sphere round the post.
Cue another Foster corner, this one hitting the crossbar. Perth scrambled the danger clear on this occasion, but very soon they were under the cosh again, Knott leading the charge down the right. She picked out Rolston racing into the inside right channel, but she skied her attempt on this occasion - if only she could rediscover the form which made her New Zealand's most prolific markswoman in age-grade international football …
Wellington swiftly regained possession, Rolston and Knott combining to present Kate Taylor with a shooting chance. Her twenty-yarder sizzled over the bar, s range-finder for the Junior Ferns captain, who was in the thick of things again as the hour mark approached.
Foster's corners were causing Perth problems aplenty. A terrific Robertson raid led to a 58th minute delivery which Langman punched off the head of Rolston, prompting another corner. This time, Foster picked out Taylor, whose shot through a forest of legs was directed straight at Perth's goalkeeper.
Another Foster corner soon afterwards was cleared back to her, prompting the former Young Ferns' captain to pick out Wisnewski with a cross. Her looping header landed the wrong side of the upright … was it going to be one of those days again?
Perth certainly hoped so, and in the 65th minute offered their first threat on goal - a long-range strike from Sadie Lawrence which Edwards understandably grabbed greedily. 'Twas a welcome reminder to her of what the ball looked like, because up until now it had spent the entire half in Perth's half of the pitch!
Where it was soon found once more, Satchell rattling the side-netting in the 69th minute before Langman unconvincingly punched out a Foster free-kick two minutes later. Wellington was unable to capitalise on the resulting scramble, while another Foster free-kick soon after saw Hassett make a darting run to the near post, only to direct her glancing header over the bar.
Eleven minutes from time, Knott's super lay-off allowed Taylor to send Hassett hurtling through the inside-left channel, where she checked then delivered a cross which picked out Ava Pritchard. The substitute directed her header inches past the post with Langman rooted to the spot, able only to look on with relief as the ball missed the target.
After Blake had reacquainted Edwards with the ball nine minutes from time, Wellington laid siege to Perth's goal in the time remaining, their desperation to draw level evident for all to see.
A lobbed effort from Hassett landed on the roof of the net after a Foster corner was cleared to her, while Milly Clegg swept past two opponents on the right before pulling the ball back from the by-line, a manoeuvre which resulted in an almighty scramble, and in which Alyssa Whinham picked up a knee injury which has the potential to be season-ending - it certainly hampered her mobility in the time remaining.
In that time, the home team mustered one more opening, with Taylor and Foster combining to produce a cross which arced over Clegg's head but found Claudia Cicco flying in on the far post.
Alas, she was unable to direct the ball on target, and Perth breathed a massive sigh of relief, their fourteen-hour journey to fulfil this "Distance Derby" fixture rewarded by a three-point haul, one they scarcely deserved, such was Wellington's dominance. But the home team's failure to find the net ensured the points were westward-bound come the final whistle.
Wellington: Edwards; Barry, van der Meer (booked, 76), Taylor, Foster; Wisnewski (Whinham, 82), Hassett, Knott; Satchell (Pritchard, 77), Rolston (Clegg, 60), Robertson (Cicco, 82)
Perth: Langman; Rigby, Anton, Carroll, Foletta; Mastrantonio (Cain, 77), Lowry (booked, 78) (Koulizakis, 80), Lawrence; Blake (Jancevski, 90), Hintzen, Sakalis (Green, 77)
Referee: Isabella Libri
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