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23Dec23
Speckmaier Steers Wellington Back On Course
by Jeremy Ruane
An outstanding personal display by striker Mariana Speckmaier did much to secure a 2-0 win for Wellington Phoenix over Newcastle Jets in front of 2,614 fans at Sky Stadium on December 23, as the victors moved back up to third place on the Liberty A-League standings.
The visitors had the better of the early exchanges, Rylee Foster forced to catch a teasing cross-shot from Lauren Allan cross-shot underneath her crossbar inside the first sixty seconds, before turning away a swerving twenty-yarder from Newcastle captain Cass Davis seven minutes later.
Wellington's response was led by captain Annalie Longo, a swashbuckling eighty yard run from well inside her own half past a plethora of opponents in the tenth minute, before she brilliantly turned Libby Copus-Brown in the penalty area and delivered a low cross which had Speckmaier's name written all over it. Alas for Wellington, the covering figure of Natasha Prior prevented her from exploiting the opportunity.
Prior's intervention came at the expense of a corner, which Michaela Foster delivered onto the head of Hope Breslin. Her looping header was prevented from finding the top corner of the net by Izzy Nino, who turned the ball round the post.
Newcastle was next to threaten, courtesy a poor Wellington clearance. Sophie Hoban swooped on the sphere and worked a one-two with MelindaJ Barbieri before unleashing a shot which Rylee Foster saved, diving to her right.
The goalkeeper instantly sparked a Wellington counter-attack, Longo again leading the charge, this time down the left, where she worked a one-two with Macey Fraser before delivering a low cross intended for Speckmaier.
Davis intervened on this occasion, and had to do so again in the twentieth minute to prevent Breslin from capitalising on a moment of brilliance from Speckmaier, whose turn on halfway did Josie Wilson like a kipper. Downfield the Venezuelan stormed before delivering a delicious curling cross in behind the defence for her team-mate, only for Newcastle's captain to spare her team's blushes again.
The crossbar saved Newcastle seconds later, Foster's inswinging corner hitting the woodwork. The Football Fern, who was playing in a midfield role in this game to accommodate fullback Zoe McMeeken, benefited from her team-mate's driving run from deep in the 24th minute, only for Davis to once more save the day for the visitors, her timely challenge preventing Foster from pulling the trigger.
Newcastle responded two minutes later through Sarina Bolden, who got the better of Rebecca Lake before racing towards goal. Into the area she powered, but as she shaped to shoot, Lake got in a recovering tackle which, combined with the formidable presence of Mackenzie Barry, ensured Bolden's name would not embolden the scoresheet on this occasion.
Back came Wellington, Fraser this time leading the way with a right wing raid which saw her stand up former Phoenix player Claudia Cicco before whipping in a low cross for Speckmaier. A vital touch by Nino prevented both the striker and Foster, following in behind, from capitalising on the opportunity.
Newcastle cleared their lines and swiftly counter-attacked. Copus-Brown's piledriver was blocked by Lake, off whom the ball rebounded to Hoban. She invited Copus-Brown to have another go, and this time her dipping twenty-five yard effort was tipped over the bar by Rylee Foster.
Wellington's next attack, in the 32nd minute, had game-changing consequences. Speckmaier, inevitably, was involved, her shot being blocked by Cicco, who, in tandem with Davis, was massive for the visitors.
The rebound fell kindly to Breslin, who turned past Wilson, only to hit the deck hard as the defender
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mistimed her challenge. Referee Mikayla Ryan had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot, and once Breslin had recovered from receiving treatment, Speckmaier gave Nino no chance from twelve yards, hammering the spot-kick into the top corner - 1-0.
Five minutes later, Wellington doubled their advantage. Speckmaier linked up with Longo on the left, the Football Ferns centurion holding the ball up well before inviting her Venezuelan team-mate to surge past two opponents to the by-line. From there, she pulled the ball back into the heart of the goalmouth where at least three team-mates were queuing up to score. Breslin obliged - 2-0.
It could have been three before the interval, with Wilson again exposed by Speckmaier in the shadows of the half-time whistle - little wonder the fullback didn't emerge for the second spell! To her credit, Wilson came back at Speckmaier on this occasion, forcing the striker to shoot at close quarters with Nino bearing down on her, the goalkeeper prevailing to maintain Newcastle's two-goal deficit.
The second half was attritional in nature, a wild Davis shot over the bar the only incident of note in the first twenty minutes of the half. Lake was proving imperious in Wellington's defence as Newcastle sought a way back into the contest, while McMeeken's athleticism - a feature of this match - was to the fore in the 65th minute.
Alas, the pass she delivered towards Speckmaier forced the striker to run a marathon just to reach it before she ran out of real estate. The long-limbed Latino made light of the task, however, retrieving possession before delivering a cross to the far post which saw McMeeken, in her eagerness to force the ball home, bundle over an opponent … the world loves a trier, but where this writer is concerned, footballers are preferred.
McMeeken's defensive frailties were exposed in the 71st minute, Newcastle substitute Emma Dundas getting the better of her before delivering a cross from the by-line which picked out Copus-Brown on the far post.
Rylee Foster scrambled across goal to save well, but at a cost, colliding with the post, prompting a stoppage in play while she was tested for concussion. She was able to carry on, but was relieved to see Copus-Brown's next attempt, following Davis' 81st minute corner, deflected to safety.
After Cicco produced a superb covering run to prevent Longo from making it 3-0 six minutes from time, Longo combined with new Wellington signing Isabel Cox in the dying minute. The newcomer invited Fraser to join in the fun, and her back-heeled pass presented substitute Alyssa Whinham with a shooting chance.
The trigger wasn't pulled, however, Newcastle substitute Zoe Karipidis cleaning out the talented playmaker in the penalty area, Whinham's standing leg in particular taking the brunt of the challenge. This happened right in front of referee Ryan, of course, but did the official do the decent thing and point to the spot for a second time? Do me a favour!
Cue a chorus of "Same old Aussies, always cheating" from Wellington's "Yellow Fever" fans, who, after seeing Lake block a Bolden drive after Allan and Davis had combined to create the stoppage time opportunity, roared with delight at the final whistle, Wellington's 2-0 victory lifting them into third place on the table.
Wellington: R. Foster; Davidson, Barry, Lake, McMeeken (Robertson, 90); Longo, Taylor, M. Foster; Breslin (booked, 25 (Cox, 56)), Fraser (Elliott, 90), Speckmaier (Whinham, 82)
Newcastle: Nino; Wilson (Karipidis, 46), Prior, Cicco; Allan, Copus-Brown (Hammond, 80 (booked, 86)), Davis, Hoban (booked, 62), Baumann; Barbieri (Dundas, 46), Bolden
Referee: Mikayla Ryan
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