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20Nov22
Record Crowd Sees City Rain On Wellington's Parade
by Jeremy Ruane
5213 fans - a record crowd for a stand-alone Liberty A-League fixture - graced Sky Stadium on November 20 to witness Wellington Phoenix's long-awaited maiden match on home soil, but it was Melbourne City who were ultimately celebrating as they emerged triumphant 4-1 winners.
Having played the entirety of their debut Liberty A-League season across the Tasman, the chance for Wellington to finally play in Aotearoa was one which the club eagerly promoted, and while calls for a 10,000-strong turnout were a tad over the top - the club's Isuzu Ute A-League team doesn't even attract that many fans to their home games, to have just over half that many fans on deck to set a new competition record attendance was nonetheless pleasing.
To put the crowd figure in perspective, ten more people attended this match than the club's final Isuzu Ute A-League fixture before the competition's suspension for the FIFA World Cup Finals - tremendous for women's football, but a tad embarrassing from the chaps' perspective!
The opening quarter of this contest was decidedly tame, as both sides set about their return to competitive action in relatively quiet fashion, Wellington the only team to fire a shot of note in anger during this period - an Ava Pritchard drive which stung the gloves of Sally James, after A-League debutant Michaela Foster had cut out a Naomi Thomas-Chinnama clearance and Alyssa Whinham had capitalised on her team-mate's instinctiveness.
Urged on by the local faithful, Wellington went close again in the 27th minute, Zoe McMeeken surging forward from deep before dragging a twenty-yarder past the post, after Paige Satchell - one of several new signings for the New Zealand team - had retrieved possession in midfield.
After this, however, City began to gain the upper hand, Mackenzie Barry's timely 32nd minute challenge preventing visiting captain Rhianna Pollicina from getting a shot in on goal, upon receipt of a slide-rule pass from Daniela Galic.
Six minutes later, Galic and Pollicina combined again, with the captain this time bringing Maria Rojas into play. The short-term signing - a temporary replacement for currently injured Football Fern Hannah Wilkinson - wriggled through two challenges before slipping a pass into the stride of Emina Ekic, racing in off the left flank.
She turned McMeeken to leave herself with just Brianna Edwards to beat, a feat she duly accomplished. But her shot struck the post from the edge of the goal area - a real let-off for Wellington, who were relieved to see Edwards paw out from beneath her crossbar a teasing dipping cross-shot from Rojas seconds later.
Three minutes before half-time, Rojas secured possession in the centre circle and fed Galic, whose ball over the defence found Ekic racing in on goal, with McMeeken missing, presumed having a good time - her defensive shortcomings, exposed last season, are something clubs are clearly looking to exploit this time round, on the evidence of this display. Edwards saved the day with a fine parried save on this occasion, but that won't always be the outcome …
Wellington began the second half with attacking intent, Kate Taylor unable to get power nor direction on her header upon receipt of a Foster free-kick. James grabbed the ball before Chloe Knott, racing in, could capitalise upon this 47th minute half-chance.
Within three minutes of that opportunity, Melbourne put the game out of reach of the home team, a quickfire double-whammy putting the visitors firmly in the driving seat. Rojas pounced on McMeeken's stray pass on halfway in the 48th minute and proceeded to run at the Wellington
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defence.
She took on and ultimately got the better of Taylor before delivering a delicious cross through the corridor of uncertainty which Bryleeh Henry, anticipating it well, tucked home on the far post.
Two minutes later, Football Fern Katie Bowen - an excellent recruit by City who had a fine game against the team from her homeland - picked out Julia Grosso on the left. The American fullback - not to be confused with the Canadian international of the same name - brought Ekic into play, and her deft back-heeled pass opened up the left flank for Pollicina, darting into the space beyond her.
City's captain drew the defence before picking out Rojas, who turned Taylor before giving Edwards the eyes and beating her all ends up with a shot inside her near post from within the six-yard box - 2-0 after fifty minutes.
And it could have been three three minutes later. Pollicina's fiercely struck angled drive drew a terrific save at her near post by Edwards, only for Rojas to force home the rebound. However, she did so from an offside position, much to Wellington's relief.
After Edwards had kept out another Pollicina piledriver, McMeeken's forgettable afternoon was completed when Rojas' tormenting of the fullback drew a foul in the penalty area, prompting referee Anne-Marie Keighley to point to the spot. Pollicina did the honours, her shot proving too hot to handle for the unlucky Edwards.
That 65th minute strike was supplemented by another goal from City's captain four minutes later. Henry broke down the right before bringing Galic into play. Her ball across the top of the penalty area was cleverly dummied by Ekic, allowing Pollicina, running in behind her, to latch onto the sphere, then check her stride and curl a delightful fifteen-yarder around Edwards.
4-0 became 4-1 eight minutes from time as Wellington scored a goal which was greatly welcomed by the gathered throngs. Foster - a solid debut at this level from the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League Player of the Year - saw her corner cleared as far as Ava Pritchard.
Her shot through the crowd struck Kaitlyn Torpey and ricocheted past James, who was desperately trying to change direction and prevent her team-mate from having an own goal recorded against her name.
The goal gave the home team renewed hope, and they finished the game strongly. Moments after squandering a free-kick opportunity from out in front, Foster's twenty-yarder was smothered by James after Knott's deft lay-off, while after Edwards had kept out a long-range effort from the ever-dangerous Rojas - easily the game's most outstanding performer, Wellington came desperately close to a second goal five minutes into stoppage time.
Substitute Charlotte Lancaster got the better of the cramp-stricken Thomas-Chinnama on the left and set sail for goal. Racing into the penalty area, "Bomber" let rip with a rasping grasscutter which beat James all ends up, only to crash against the base of the far post. Foster latched onto the rebound, but could only direct her effort to convert in into the gloves of City's custodian, who was celebrating a 4-1 win with her team-mates seconds later.
Wellington: Edwards; McMeeken (Cicco, 66), Barry, Taylor, van der Meer (Vosper, 87); Hassett, Whinham (Clegg, 66), Knott; Satchell (Lancaster, 74), Pritchard, Foster
Melbourne: James; Torpey, Thomas-Chinnama, Bowen, Grosso (Blissett, 70); Galic (McKenna, 70), Pollicina (Malone, 83), Davidson, Ekic (Accardo, 83); Henry, Rojas
Referee: Anne-Marie Keighley
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