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Crucial Loss Leaves Play-Off Hopes On Life Support

by Jeremy Ruane

A 2-0 loss to Central Coast Mariners, in what was a must-win Ninja A-League Women's clash for both teams at Jerry Collins Stadium on March 22, has left Wellington Phoenix's play-off hopes on life support heading into the final three rounds of the season.

Paul Temple's side can still realise their ambitions of a top six finish, but they now need other results to go their way, as well as win their remaining fixtures, the first of which is against unbeaten league leaders, Melbourne City.

Another thing they need to do is convert their spells of dominance into tangible rewards on the scoreboard, something which they failed to do in this encounter, for which they ultimately paid a heavy price.

Wellington dominated the first twenty-five minutes of this encounter, but carved out just five openings in that time, the first of them in the eighth minute. The fit-again Grace Jale started the raid before feeding the overlapping Lara Wall, whose deep cross found Alyssa Whinham beyond the far post.

She teased a defender before slipping a pass inside to Jale, arriving on the scene at pace. Her low fifteen yard drive was fiercely struck, but directed straight at Sarah Langman, for whom this match marked a century of A-League Women's appearances.

Central Coast continued to protect their custodian by rebuffing Wellington's advances, Jessika Nash stepping in in the eighteenth minute to prevent Olivia Fergusson from capitalising on Manaia Elliott's low cross, after she'd been released down the right by Annalie Longo's defence-splitting pass.

The resulting corner, from Elliott, was a beauty, right into the danger zone by the far post. Langman's punch succeeded in directing the ball to Zoe McMeeken, off whom it ricocheted goalwards. Jale was right in the thick of things under the shadow of the crossbar, but Langman emerged with the ball in hand, much to the visitors' relief.

Having missed fixtures for both club and country in recent weeks due to injury, Jale is clearly eager to make up for lost time and regain the form she was in when fate dealt both her and Wellington a cruel blow. She threatened again soon after, this time a twenty yard attempt which troubled Langman little.

Unlike the 26th minute raid which Longo launched, Fergusson the outlet for her productivity. The striker was through on goal with just Langman to beat and duly squeezed the ball past the goalkeeper, only for the offside flag to put the skids on any prospects of a goal for the 765 fans present to celebrate.

After this, Central Coast started to work their way back into the contest, their first threat materialising on the half-hour via a Taylor Ray corner. The ball broke for Isabel Gomez to send a volley crashing against the crossbar, and while Carolina Vilao eventually gathered the rebound, she took umbrage to Brooke Nunn's unprovoked charge on the goalkeeper, with both players being punished by referee Georgia Ghiradello soon afterwards.

Back came Wellington, Langman spilling Elliott's angled ball into the danger zone. Nash tidied up before McMeeken could capitalise on this 39th minute opening, the Wellington player being deployed as an attacker in this match, a role far better suited to her capabilities.

Central Coast were handed a route to goal in the shadows of the half-time whistle via a harsh penalty call. Ray delivered a cross which saw Peta Trimis' looping header hit the crossbar. Annalise Rasmussen, following in, was already off balance as she looked to latch onto the rebound, but went to ground with Wall in close proximity.

There was no doubt in referee Ghiradello's mind that contact had been made by the fullback, and she pointed to the penalty spot, albeit in a rather understated manner. Wellington's protests fell on deaf ears, and Rasmussen sent Vilao the wrong way from the spot on the stroke of half-time.

From the kick-off, an enraged Wellington stormed downfield, Whinham, Elliott and Longo leading the charge down the right. The last-mentioned's cross sought out McMeeken, but Ray's timely tackle ensured Central Coast would head to the dressing rooms a goal to the good.

They emerged the stronger side immediately after the resumption of play, and after Vilao had turned Trimis' curling effort round the far post in the 51st minute, doubled their advantage form the resulting corner to leave Wellington with the proverbial mountain to climb.

Ray's delivery was cleared to the edge of the penalty area, where Gomez executed a splendid hip-turn volley to send the ball flying into the net from fifteen yards, a goal made all the sweeter for the scorer by the fact she's a former Wellington player.

Knowing they had to score next, the home team tried even harder to break down Central Coast's resistance, but there was no way through for the team in yellow. Indeed, the visitors would have gone three-up had Vilao not parried Jade Pennock's shot to safety, the striker having been played in by Annabel Martin's astute throw-in twenty minutes from time.

Wellington retorted immediately, Fergusson racing past two into the penalty area before inviting substitute Mebae Tanaka to let fly. She slipped in the act of shooting, however, while a minute later Longo's ball over the top saw Langman racing out of goal to clear the ball off Elliott's toes.

Time was now Wellington's enemy, and it soon became apparent that this was the visitors' day, a fact confirmed long before the home team mustered their final threats on goal in this encounter, in stoppage time.

Langman turned their best effort, a thunderous twenty yarder from Elliott, over the bar, while Nash's timely tackle on Fergusson soon after snuffed out any hopes Wellington held of getting back into a contest which had long since escaped them, Central Coast's victory propelling them well into play-offs contention, and leaving them five points clear of their vanquished hosts with three games apiece still to play.

Wellington: Vilao (booked, 31); Elliott, Kelly (Jerez, 79 (booked, 86)), Barry, Wall; Longo, McCutcheon (booked, 34), Whinham (Brazendale, 65); McMeeken (Tanaka, 65), Fergusson, Jale (Ingham, 72)

Central Coast: Langman; Rowe (booked, 55 (Hughes, 68)), Nash, Ray, Martin; Galic, Nunn (booked, 31 (Fuller, 56)), Gomez (Quilligan, 90); Pennock, Rasmussen, Trimis (Puxty, 68)

Referee: Georgia Ghiradello

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