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26Feb23
Sydney Edge Wellington In NZ's Home Of Football
by Jeremy Ruane
Last season's beaten Grand Finalists, Sydney FC, rained on Wellington Phoenix's parade in the first-ever Liberty A-League fixture to take place in the city which is New Zealand's home of football, the visitors prevailing 1-0 in a hard-fought encounter at Auckland's North Harbour Stadium on 26 February.
The exchanges early doors were fairly even, with the visitors engineering the first chance of the match, seconds after a Michaela Robertson cross had been grabbed by Jada Whyman. She launched a seventh minute counter-attack which saw Charlize Rule storming down the right before slipping in Cortnee Vine.
Brianna Edwards dashed out to save at her feet, but found herself under pressure five minutes later from both Princess Ibini-Isei and Mackenzie Hawkesby, after Sarah Hunter, Vine and Rule combined on the right, the last-mentioned delivering a teasing cross.
Mackenzie Barry cleared the danger on this occasion, but more was forthcoming in the sixteenth minute when Ibini-Isei lashed a twenty-five yarder goalwards. Edwards parried it to safety, but Rola Badawiya gathered the ball in and picked out Hunter, whose run from midfield had gone unnoticed by anyone in yellow. Edwards saved at her feet.
Kate Taylor started this game in a central midfield role, and was relishing it, winning a nineteenth minute aerial duel before surging forward and threading a pass to Robertson, who fired Wellington's first shot in anger past Whyman's left-hand upright.
Seconds later, however, Taylor gifted possession to Vine, who thundered past both the Junior Ferns captain and Marisa van der Meer en route to the penalty area, where she lifted a rising drive over both Edwards and the near post - the closest either side had come to scoring to this point in the contest, which soon evolved into something of an arm wrestle.
Wellington eventually emerged the stronger from this spell, with Clegg scampering down the right in the 34th minute before sending a cross fizzing across the bows of Chloe Knott. Ava Pritchard was following up, and set up Grace Wisnewski for a shot which was cleared by Charlotte McLean.
That sparked a Sydney counter-attack in which Ibini-Isei was central to the action. Her cross wasn't claimed by Edwards, allowing Badawiya the chance to drill home the opening goal. But she hadn't reckoned on Michaela Foster, who flung herself in the way of the shot and picked up an injury for her troubles. She was able to continue after treatment.
Just as well, because her set-piece prowess was required five minutes before half-time. Foster's free-kick arced in from the left flank, inviting van der Meer to unleash a header which was smothered to her right by Jada Whyman, a goalkeeper with great command of her penalty area.
Right on half-time, Wellington thought they had broken the deadlock, much to the delight of the 1182 fans cheering them on. Wisnewski burst through midfield before feeding Taylor inside her.
She busted a tackle before slipping the ball into the stride of Robertson, whose chipped effort deceived Whyman, arcing over the 'keeper into the far side of the net. Cheers erupted, but as they did, a late offside flag was rising … GRRRR!!
Sydney came out of the dressing rooms all guns blazing, and after van der Meer's vital block of a
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driven cross from Vine, they opened the scoring in the 47th minute. Hawkesby's corner into the danger zone wasn't cleared, and half-time substitute Rachel Lowe introduced herself to proceedings in uncompromising fashion, swivelling to volley home from six yards - 1-0.
Having netted one, the visitors were eager to double their tally, Hawkesby narrowly astray with a twenty-yarder after more Vine work on the right. The home team's cause wasn't aided by Clegg gifting possession to Kirsty Fenton in the 53rd minute, the fullback swiftly ensuring Vine was brought into play. A pass inside invited Lowe to let fly, her low drive flashing past Edwards' right-hand post.
Further Sydney pressure followed, Edwards saving Sarah Hunter's twenty yard free-kick, before a rare Wellington counter-attack, sparked by Pritchard's interception, culminated in the rampaging figure of Robertson haring through on goal but lifting her shot over the top … a trait with which New Zealand women's football fans have become all too familiar in recent days.
This prompted another period in which neither side could get on top of proceedings, with Wellington finding Sydney rather challenging to break down - Natalie Tobin led their backline well.
The visitors eventually got on top of their opponents, however, Lowe central to much of what they did which caused Wellington problems. An Emma Rolston error in the 78th minute resulted in Vine beating two opponents before slipping a pass into the stride of the substitute, who was thwarted by Edwards' sound save at her feet.
Wellington's goalkeeper then dived to her right to keep out another Lowe effort, while the same player sent a twenty-yarder sizzling narrowly past the post ten minutes from time, before slipping a pass into Vine's stride two minutes later.
Her curling effort was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Edwards, who was relieved to see Tobin head narrowly over the bar in the aftermath of Hawkesby's 83rd minute corner. Two minutes later, the corner-taker looked to become the chief executioner, after the impressive Ibini-Isei combined with Lowe to pave the way for a shot on goal. Van der Meer headed Hawkesby's shot to safety.
Stoppage time was upon us when Lowe was once more denied by another Edwards' save at her feet, but the last chance of the match fell to Wellington, substitute Paige Satchell scooting past two players on the left before attempting to lift the ball over Whyman, an option the goalkeeper swiftly swatted to safety to end the home team's hopes of snaring a share of the spoils.
Sydney's hard-earned victory maintains their current winning streak and lifts them into second place on the table as they bid to clinch back-to-back minor premierships. For Wellington, however, the battle continues, with the chances of avoiding the wooden spoon dwindling by the week - just six games remain in their season, and they are five points adrift of their nearest rivals.
Wellington: Edwards; Cicco (Vosper, 86), Barry (booked, 54), van der Meer (booked, 63), Foster; Taylor (Whinham, 74), Knott, Wisnewski; Robertson, Pritchard (Rolston, 74), Clegg (Satchell, 60)
Sydney: Whyman; Rule, McLean, Tobin, Fenton; Hawkesby, Hunter, Hollman; Vine (booked, 44), Badawiya (Lowe, 46), Ibini-Isei (Collister, 88)
Referee: Rachel Mitchenson
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