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07May21
Dour Draw Leaves Play-Off Hopes In Limbo
by Jeremy Ruane
A second consecutive scoreless A-League draw for Wellington Phoenix, this time at Adelaide United on their pristine Coopers Stadium pitch on 7 May, has left the Kiwi team's play-off hopes dangling by the proverbial thread.
Losing Ulises Davila to a hamstring injury just after the hour mark certainly won't help Wellington's cause in their remaining games, but nor did failing to beat United's ten men, a tally to which they were reduced in the final fifteen minutes of play as Ryan Strain committed his second bookable offence just eight minutes after receiving his first yellow card from poorly performed referee Alireza Faghani.
The official had a dire night, responding angrily to any complaints directed towards him by players, and adopting a very confrontational attitude at the best of times. As for his timekeeping, how you can add only get three minutes to a match which has seen stoppages for substitutions, head clashes, hamstring injuries … he did the refereeing fraternity a disservice with his display, and that's being polite!
An engaging contest - how could you not play on this pitch? Far and away the best playing surface in Australia - burst into life in the sixth minute when Louis D'Arrigo and Josh Cavallo combined on the left, the overlapping fullback's cross startling Stefan Mauk, who squandered a glorious chance to open the scoring from six yards out.
Four minutes later, Ben Halloran evaded two challenges before seeing his cross cleared to the edge of the area by Steven Taylor. Craig Goodwin picked up the pieces and threaded a pass through for Cavallo, whose drive was parried by Oliver Sail.
The resulting corner from Goodwin picked out Tomi Juric, whose header was spectacularly turned to safety by Sail, who recovered to smother D'Arrigo's piledriver seconds later.
Wellington first threatened in the twentieth minute when Clayton Lewis' angled cross towards Jaushua Sotirio was grabbed by Joe Gauci, who was relieved to see Davila's 35th minute drive blocked by Jordan Elsey, although whether the defender used his hand to direct the ball to safety is an issue the visitors will dispute until the cows come home!
Head clashes were commonplace in this tussle, that between Joshua Laws and Juric in the 26th minute the most contentious as it took place in the penalty area. Refeee Faghani paid no heed to United's penalty claims, player safety quite rightly his priority.
The second half was a livelier affair as both teams sought the breakthrough goal which, particularly for Wellington, was vital. They were first to threaten, Sotirio meeting Lewis' fiftieth minute free-kick with a glancing header which fizzed just past the far post.
How Adelaide failed to open the scoring three minutes later defies logic! Halloran brilliantly nutmegged Sam Sutton in the area before angling a low cross-shot across the goalmouth, the ball grazing the far post with the incoming figure of Mauk just a stride away from turning it home.
Seconds later, a fifty yard run from Strain culminated in him scooping the ball over the fast-
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closing figure of Sail but over the bar as well, while the fullback's cross three minutes later was calmly dealt with under pressure by Taylor, whose audacious back-heeled clearance of a Cavallo cross on another occasion was coolness personified.
Wellington threatened on the hour, Lewis' clever pass inviting Davila to dart down the right before delivering his final contribution to the match, a cross which prompted a vital clearance by the outstanding George Timotheou.
The Mexican limped off with a hamstring problem soon afterwards - one hopes Wellington's play-off hopes didn't depart the pitch with him - but his creative replacement, Reno Piscopo, was soon chancing his arm as he looked to lead the visitors to victory.
His 65th minute corner was headed over the bar by Tim Payne from six yards, while the Olyroo's driving thirty yard run culminated in a shot which was well smothered by Gauci, the only save he had to make all evening, a fact which tells its own tale.
Concerted Adelaide pressure followed, Laws and Taylor blocking successive Mauk shots following Cavallo crosses, before Timotheou, at the other end of the park, intervened to thwart David Ball's progress in the 73rd minute.
Ball endures a fair amount of punishment from opposing defenders during matches, and copped another blow two minutes later as he was felled when in full flight. The offender was Strain, who, just eight minutes earlier, had been booked for kicking the ball away in frustration. Out came the yellow card again, followed by the red one - Adelaide were down to ten men for the duration.
Piscopo fired the resulting free-kick over the bar, remarkably Wellington's last shot of the match as they failed to exploit their numerical superiority. Instead, United looked the team more likely to score in the closing minutes, Sail called upon to save from lively substitute Kusini Yengi and from Halloran, a thirty yard grasscutter which the 'keeper turned round the post six minutes from time.
Remarkably, that was the last shot of note in the match, one which was cut considerably short by referee Faghani, who must have a contract with the makers of Mickey Mouse watches! Either that or he had a plane to catch! Only three minutes of stoppage time? Do me a favour!
The point suited Adelaide, who leapt from fifth place to second - such is the congestion behind leaders Melbourne City, the next opponents for both these teams. In Wellington's case, that match will be in nine days' time, and nothing short of a win against the league leaders will suffice if the ninth-placed team's play-offs hopes are to be maintained.
Adelaide: Gauci; Strain (booked, 67, 75 - sent off), Elsey, Timotheou, Cavallo (Kitto, 85); Mauk (Caletti, 85), Juande (booked, 12), D'Arrigo (Toure, 69); Halloran, Juric (Yengi, 77), Goodwin
Wellington: Sail; Payne, Taylor, Laws, Sutton (McGarry, 59); Davila (Waine, 64), Rufer (Lokoli-Ngoy, 80), Lewis (booked, 18), Ball; Sotirio (Piscopo, 59), Hemed
Referee: Alireza Faghani
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