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Last Gasp "Olimpico" Crowns Come-From-Behind Win

by Jeremy Ruane

A last gasp "Olimpico" crowned a mesmerising come-from-behind 3-2 win for Wellington Phoenix over Newcastle Jets in their Ninja A-League Women's encounter at Jerry Collins Stadium on January 19, after the visitors had led 2-0 at half-time.

Both teams fired shots on goal inside the first 45 seconds of this thrilling tussle. A stray Mackenzie Barry pass invited Sheridan Gallagher to let fly, but her effort was thwarted by Carolina Vilao, who instantly launched a counter-attack from which Grace Jale drew a solid save from Danielle Krzyzaniak.

Back came Newcastle, the visitors silencing the crowd by opening the scoring in the second minute. Lara Gooch nutmegged Barry on the right before crossing for Deven Jackson, who directed the across to Gallagher to execute a close-range finish, albeit one with more than a hint of offside about it.

Wellington immediately began their pursuit of an early equaliser. Lara Wall lobbed the ball forward for Olivia Fergusson, who was put off by Cassidy Davis as she looked to fire past Krzyzaniak, who looked on as Lorena Baumann shut down Mebae Tanaka's bid to level the scores in the sixth minute.

Alyssa Whinham, on her fiftieth appearance for Wellington, set up Tanaka for another chance soon after, only for Natasha Prior to intervene. Cue some Annalie Longo pressure on Krzyzaniak, forcing the 'keeper to bring Baumann into play. She was caught in possession in the area by Tanaka, who returned the compliment to Whinham, only for the playmaker to send the ball flying over the bar.

Another Whinham effort was blocked by Prior soon after, the opportunity arising after another poor Newcastle clearance, while Wellington's captain for the day was denied by Krzyzaniak's flying save to her right in the eighteenth minute, after Fergusson and Maya McCutcheon combined on the right, the latter's cross being blocked by Prior, only to fall invitingly for Whinham to let fly.

A hugely controversial moment materialised in the 24th minute, as Wellington came desperately close to equalising. Wall and Longo combined for McCutcheon's benefit, the midfield anchor unleashing a twenty-five yarder which was tipped onto the bar by Krzyzaniak.

Fergusson was onto the rebound in a flash, but her looping header was also tipped onto the bar by the recovering goalkeeper. The ball dropped down, and Tanaka flew in to head it home from point blank range, but instead found herself smelling Prior's boot as the defender hooked it clear from beneath the crossbar.

The questions were, had the ball crossed the line, and did Prior's clearance not constitute dangerous play, given her boot was at head height with Tanaka's face in close proximity? In the absence of a Video Assistant Referee in this competition, the officials opted to play on …

On the half-hour, the charging figure of Tiana Jaber created an opening for McCutcheon, only for Claudia Cicco to swiftly slam the door. The former Wellington defender welcomed the respite from the game-long battle she was having with Jale, a duel which got quite feisty on occasions, particularly at corners.

Soon after Gooch had led a Newcastle counter-attack which culminated in Emma Dundas firing past the post from distance, Jale stung the gloves of Krzyzaniak with a twenty-five yarder after Longo led the visitors' defence on a merry dance with one of her trademark jinking runs.

Whinham's tight control saw her evade two challengers ten minutes before half-time, the playmaker promptly finding Tanaka in the penalty area, only for Prior to shut her down in fine style - a great piece of defensive work, as was her willingness to put her body on the line to block a Longo drive seconds later.

Prior was proving effective at both ends of the park. Having narrowly failed to make contact with a Gallagher corner on the quarter-hour, she met her 41st minute delivery with a flying header which narrowly cleared the crossbar.

Newcastle pressed again two minutes later, and were rewarded with a second goal. Gallagher took over from Gooch on a right-flank raid - she looked to be offside when doing so, but no call was made - and set sail for goal, Barry leading the chasers. Their pursuit was in vain, as Gallagher slipped the ball past the approaching figure of Vilao to double the visitors' lead in the shadows of the half-time whistle.

Wellington made two attacking substitutions for the second spell, unleashing Emma Main and Manaia Elliott upon proceedings as they looked to turn things round with the wind at their backs.

An early goal was desired, and was delivered in splendid fashion just five minutes after play had resumed. Jale, Main and Longo combined on the left, the last-mentioned spotting Elliott's angled run to the near post and delivering a made-to-measure cross which the newcomer met with a diving header which she directed past Krzyzaniak - 2-1, and how!

Cue an all-out assault on Newcastle's goal, Main attempting an ambitious volley which landed on the roof of the net, before just failing to make contact with Elliott's cross from the right. Longo then presented Whinham with a glorious opportunity to volley home the equaliser, but her unselfish instincts got the better of her, opting to play the ball to Elliott, who wasn't expecting the pass.

Said equaliser materialised in the 58th minute. Elliott sent Main scampering down the right to the by-line, from where she pulled the ball back into the stride of her fellow substitute. Her fierce drive was parried by Krzyzaniak, but Longo was following in - 2-2, although there was more than a hint of offside about the scorer's position when Elliott let fly.

Referee Sarah Jones - her beaming smile was in frequent use to calm frayed tempers in this match - awarded the goal, and a thrilling final half-hour of play was in store, with both teams eager to score the winner.

But not before the unfortunate Jackson had to leave the fray with concussion after clashing heads with Alivia Kelly and coming off much the worse for wear. The Football Fern isn't one to stay down unless she's hurt, and she was feeling the effects of this collision long after the final whistle.

Once play had resumed, Whinham was seen at her impish best, creating chaos in the penalty area via a nutmeg of Davis and a driven cross which was deflected over the bar by the retreating figure of Cicco - it could very easily have flown into the net.

Longo's resulting corner created further mayhem in Newcastle's goalmouth, with Barry going to ground upon being hit by two opponents. No penalty was forthcoming, however, but Wellington kept on coming, Longo unleashing a 69th minute curler which Krzyzaniak grabbed underneath her crossbar.

Back came the visitors, Barry producing a timely tackle to thwart Alexis Collins, before referee Jones came up with some weird and far from wonderful calls which didn't endear her to either side, although it was very pleasing to see her firmly policing where throw-ins were being taken from - the yards pinched at such moments amounts to nothing more than blatant cheating.

Sixteen minutes from time, Krzyzaniak punched a Wall cross off Elliott's head. Seconds later, she flicked on Barry's ball forward to Longo, whose measured cross for Jale was headed clear by Prior.

Into the final ten minutes, and it was all on for young and old at both ends of the park. Jaber and Barry combined to shut down a Collins raid nine minutes from time, while two minutes later, some superb defending by Jaber denied Gooch in the area after Collins had burst clear down the right.

Back came Wellington, Zoe McMeeken shooting straight at Krzyzaniak. Newcastle responded via Josie Wilson, who caught Barry - far from her best game - in possession but was unable to control the ball in the aftermath of her successful challenge.

And down to the other end we once again went, a poor Krzyzaniak goal kick inviting Elliott to let fly. The goalkeeper redeemed herself with a fine save, but it came at the expense of a corner in the eighth minute of stoppage time.

Elliott whipped it in - straight in, the ball beating all-comers in the air and slamming into the far side of the net for a match-winning "Olimpico", to the undisguised delight of her team-mates and the local faithful, Wellington clinching a fourth consecutive home win on the back of this come-from-behind 3-2 triumph.

Wellington: Vilao; Kelly (McMeeken, 68), Jaber, Barry, Wall; Whinham, McCutcheon, Longo; Tanaka (Elliott, 46), Fergusson (Main, 46), Jale (booked, 90)

Newcastle: Krzyzaniak; Cicco, Prior, Baumann (booked, 90); Dundas, Hoban (Adams, 87), Davis, Copus-Brown; Gooch (Wilson, 87), Gallagher (Collins, 59), Jackson (Allan, 64)

Referee: Sarah Jones

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