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26Nov22
Newbies Win Clash Of Newest Kids On The Block
by Jeremy Ruane
The clash of the newest kids on the block in the Liberty A-League at Sky Stadium on 26 November saw the most recent addition to the competition continue their perfect start to the campaign, as Western United trounced Wellington Phoenix 4-1 in front of 1541 fans.
It was an impressive showing by the team playing just its second fixture in the competition, and leaves them topping the table at this early stage of the campaign, a table being propped up by their opponents, for whom this was a second successive 4-1 drubbing on home turf - far from the perfect start coach Natalie Lawrence was hoping for!
Wellington was first to threaten; debutant Michaela Robertson's cross-field ball would have played Ava Pritchard in with just the 'keeper to beat had Tyla Jay Vlajnic not produced a timely third minute interception.
Western soon set about their work, Betsy Hassett's dogged covering run culminating in a tackle which prevented Kahli Johnson from delivering a sixth minute cross. The resulting Vlajnic corner was pawed out by Brianna Edwards to the edge of the six-yard box, where Sydney Cummings soared over all-comers to direct a powerful header inches over the bar.
After Pritchard's vital block had thwarted Hannah Keane's shot on the turn, Mackenzie Barry's raking ball forward unleashed Paige Satchell's pace upon Western's defence, but goalkeeper Hillary Beall anticipated the danger and saved at the speedster's feet in the thirteenth minute.
Three minutes later, and just seconds after Stacey Papadopoulos had denied Robertson in the penalty area, Western opened the scoring. Keane got the better of Kate Taylor - a shadow of the player she was last season so far in this one - on halfway and surged forward, only for Barry to race across and curtail her progress.
That allowed Taylor the chance to clear the sphere, but she failed to do so, affording Keane a second bite of the cherry. Barry lunged at the striker as she picked out Jessica McDonald with a cross which the FIFA Women's World Cup winner - she was a member of Team USA's squad at France 2019 - volleyed into the net from the edge of the six-yard box.
Wellington were still processing that goal when Western pressed again, McDonald this time delivering a teasing chipped cross into the heart of the penalty area, Keane her target. Edwards, who had issues with high balls throughout this contest, did well to punch clear on this occasion, sparking a counter-attack in which Chloe Knott cruised downfield before working a one-two with Pritchard.
Her cross for Satchell was blocked by Vlajnic, forcing a corner. Michaela Foster's delivery was cleared, but when she flighted another such delivery into the goalmouth in the 23rd minute, Wellington were celebrating an equaliser.
Beall's punch clear was headed back into the danger zone by Satchell. This was cleared as far as Marisa van der Meer, whose looping header arced over all-comers and dropped under the bar, to the undisguised delight of the goalscorer.
A lively period of play ensued, with chances materialising at both ends of the park. For the most part, both defences stood firm in response to these threats, but bullets were undoubtedly dodged. Cummings blocked a Robertson drive, while another Foster corner was punched out by Beall, but did she foul Pritchard in the process? Referee Bec Mackie was poorly positioned to determine either way, so play continued.
The closest chance of all between the equaliser and the half-time whistle came in the 26th minute, and once more featured the charging running of Keane. This time, she fed Johnson, ranging up in support through the inside left channel, from where she fired a low angled drive towards the bottom far corner of the net.
Edwards parried it, straight towards Keane. Thankfully for Wellington, Foster - another fine performance, further underlining the importance of the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League as a finishing school for local players who aspire to greater achievements in the women's game - was on hand to intervene, with the assistance of another NPWL graduate in Barry, who blocked McDonald's header to safety.
The second spell began brightly, Satchell storming down the right, leaving Alana Cerne for dead in the process, before firing in a near post cross which Robertson could neither control nor direct on target. Back came Western, Keane thrashing a shot
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across the face of goal before battering a twenty yarder at Edwards, who parried then smothered the fiercely struck effort.
Western had penalty claims ignored by referee Mackie in the aftermath of another Vlajnic set-piece, this occurring during a period of play rife with stoppages and substitutions, including a booking and premature departure from the fray for van der Meer, who injured herself while making a rugged challenge on the impressive Vlajnic.
United were beginning to build up a head of steam, and after Keane had gone close with a curling effort, and Papadopoulos had rattled the outside of the near post with a cross-shot, the visitors banged home three goals in eleven minutes to kill off the game as a contest.
Barry's timely challenge prevented Chloe Logarzo from capitalising upon the interplay of Keane and McDonald, but from Vlajnic's resulting corner, Cummings' thumping downward six yard header flew past the diving figure of Edwards and in by the far post in the 71st minute, a goal which would have been prevented had the individual detailed to cover the far upright maintained her position.
Foster sought a swift riposte via a free-kick, but Beall was solidly behind it, the last time she was tested in the contest. That wasn't the case for Edwards and company, who came under tremendous pressure in the remaining minutes.
Johnson was unable to capitalise on defensive deficiencies in the 74th minute, while Cummings just failed to direct another header on target from a searching Vlajnic free-kick. Another corner from the fullback, thirteen minutes from time, was delivered right into the danger zone at the near post, and wasn't dealt with at all well by the home team.
Edwards' aerial shortcomings were once more exposed, the 'keeper punching the ball up rather than out. What goes up must come down, and Charlotte Lancaster's attempt to head clear only succeeded in directing the ball back towards her own goal. Keane spared the substitute the embarrassment of having an own goal to her name - 3-1.
Five minutes later, Keane struck again, this time capping off a gorgeous move down the right flank. McDonald fed Emma Robers, who rampaged forward before delivering an inch-perfect cross towards the penalty spot. Keane was arriving on cue, and without breaking stride, leapt to guide a ten yard header over Edwards and into the net to wrap up Western's win.
Wellington were a well-beaten side before their ranks were reduced to ten before the final whistle, a clash of heads eliminating Knott from the contest with all substitutes having been deployed.
What is most concerning is the seeming lack of zip and zest in the team's all-round display, particularly in the closing stages of matches - a real strength of Wellington's performances in their opening campaign, but an element of their game which has been conspicuous by its absence so far this time round.
Could the solution to this apparent lack of fitness be for the Wellington Phoenix squad to contest the first half of New Zealand's National Women's League, playing non-competitive fixtures at the home grounds of the NWL contenders each week as part of their pre-season preparations, so they can hit the ground running when the Liberty A-League commences?
This would serve two purposes - establishing match fitness while marketing the team nationwide, very much along the lines of what NZ Football has done in years past with age-grade representative sides competing in the National Women's League.
Propping up the table at this early stage of the season means a win is needed in fairly short order if Natalie Lawrence's charges are to get themselves back in contention on the table, otherwise the prospect of another challenging season in this competitive league looms large once more, this time with regular trans-Tasman travel thrown into the mix.
Wellington: Edwards; van der Meer (booked, 61) (Cicco, 64), Barry, Taylor, Foster; Knott, Hassett, Robertson (Clegg, 64); Pritchard (Lancaster, 72), Whinham (Vosper, 85), Satchell
Western: Beall; Papadopoulos (booked, 90), Cummings (booked, 40), Cerne (booked, 57), Vlajnic (Sawicki, 79); Robers, M. Taranto (Sardo, 86), A. Taranto (Logarzo, 54); McDonald, Keane, Johnson (Iermano, 79)
Referee: Bec Mackie
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