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Wellington Sink Reigning A-League Women's Champions

by Jeremy Ruane

Wellington Phoenix recorded a famous 2-0 victory over Sydney FC at Jerry Collins Stadium on December 21, the first time they've ever beaten the reigning Ninja A-League Women's champions on home turf.

They've played Sydney on six occasions in the past, winning just one of them, a 1-0 win at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium nine months ago, courtesy Kate Taylor's 32nd minute volley. This time round, the title-holders are propping up the table, and continue to do so as a result of this defeat.

There was very little to choose between the teams in the opening forty-five minutes, with chances at a premium, particularly in the opening quarter hour. Lara Wall was central to both of those which materialised in this period, thwarting Millie Farrow with a timely tackle sixty seconds after scampering down the left and picking out Emma Main with a fifth minute cross which the winger volleyed tamely towards Sydney goalkeeper Tahlia Franco.

Sydney failed to capitalise on a couple of defensive lapses around the twenty minute mark, from both of which Farrow should have scored. The first came about after Madeleine Caspers broke clear on the left and picked out the striker with a cross.

Farrow mis-timed her shot, the sphere looping goalwards and allowing Carolina Vilao to backpedal and grab the ball under the bar. Within seconds, Vilao had bowled the ball out to Mackenzie Barry, whose first touch was akin to a pass to Farrow. From twelve yards, she fired past the post with Vilao stranded - a glorious chance spurned.

Another vital tackle by Wall denied Farrow in the 31st minute, while it was Jordan Thompson's turn to make a telling intervention four minutes later, thwarting Olivia Fergusson after Main had evaded two challenges before looking to play in her team-mate.

Seven minutes before half-time, Farrow featured once again, this time catching Tiana Jaber in possession. But before she had the chance to take advantage of the opening, Vilao slammed the door shut, the final act of note in a half which concluded with a heavy downpour, prompting a forty-five minute delay to the second half kick-off.

It was Wellington who took the bull by the horns once play resumed, the introduction of Alyssa Whinham doing much to give direction to a game which hadn't risen to any heights - never mind great ones - in the first half.

After Zoe McMeeken - who did a fine man-marking job on Princess Ibini-Isei in this match - headed past the post from an Annalie Longo corner, Whinham took charge of the ball in the 56th minute and fed Grace Jale, who had seen very little of the ball in the first half.

She laid the ball off to Fergusson, who played it across to Whinham. She spread it wide towards

Annalie Longo, who dummied it, knowing that McMeeken was overlapping beyond her. The fullback fizzed in a cross to the edge of the goal area for Fergusson, only for Tori Tumeth to produce a timely tackle which maintained the half-time score.

When Wellington next attacked, three minutes later, there was no stopping them. Jale and Whinham worked a smart one-two on the rain-slicked surface which allowed the Football Fern to surge forward and unleash a thirty yard rocket which dipped in front of the diving figure of Franco, the ball squirming under her and into the net by the far post.

The home team were denied a second goal seven minutes later, Abbey Lemon heading McMeeken's header off the line by the post after the fullback was again picked out by Longo's corner.

Sydney instantly sought a way back into the contest, substitute Shea Connors claiming a penalty when going down under the first of numerous Maya McCutcheon challenges inside the final quarter of the game.

Referee Beth Rattray wasn't having any of it, but given the frequency with which McCutcheon was conceding fouls in the later stages of the contest, the idea of issuing a yellow card to the combative midfielder couldn't have been far from the official's thoughts as the match wore on.

Ibini-Isei had contributed very little to the contest, so well had McMeeken contained her. But two shots inside the last twenty minutes, one a free-kick, showed she remained a threat. Neither troubled Vilao, however, while she had Tiana Jaber to thank for blocking an 82nd minute shot from Farrow following a Mackenzie Hawkesby corner.

With two minutes remaining, Wellington sealed the deal. Another Longo corner, another McMeeken header, this time, nothing but net - 2-0! And having scored her first goal for the club, the fullback swiftly went in search of another, a stoppage time twenty-yarder which drew another save from Franco, not long after Ibini-Isei had sent a thumping header crashing off the post at the other end of the park.

Wellington's win sees them occupying fifth place on the table at the conclusion of seventh round action, their highest position in the A-League Women's standings since the start of 2024, when they occupied fourth place after their first game of the year.

Wellington: Vilao; McMeeken, Jaber, Barry, Wall; Tanaka (Whinham, 46), McCutcheon, Longo; Main (Kelly, 83), Fergusson (Elliott, 65), Jale (Brazendale, 90)

Sydney: Franco; Tumeth, Thompson, Tobin, Lemon (Sullivan, 89); Caspers (Johnson, 61), Chauvet, Hawkesby; Dos Santos (Connors, 46), Farrow (Luchtmeijer, 89), Ibini-Isei

Referee: Beth Rattray

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