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08Apr18
Wellington Snatch Defeat From Jaws Of Victory
by Jeremy Ruane
Wellington Phoenix somehow managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in their penultimate Hyundai A-League game of a season best forgotten at AAMI Park on April 8, as Melbourne Victory came from behind to prevail 2-1 and delight the vast majority of the 13,182-strong crowd.
The bottom-placed side enjoyed slightly the better of what were fairly even opening exchanges, with Roy Krishna engineering the game's first chance when latching onto a loose ball in the eighth minute before racing down the right, only to see his low cross, intended for Matija Ljujic, cut out by Lawrence Thomas at his near post.
Five minutes later, Melbourne's number one was in action again, smothering the deflection off a team-mate brought about by Matthew Ridenton's wayward cross-shot, after Tom Doyle had instigated the counter-attack.
It wasn't long before the home team finally revealed their attacking muscle. Two minutes after Dylan Fox and Christian Theoharous had collided in mid-air, Besart Berisha slipped the lively youngster into the penalty area on the left.
Theoharous led Fox a merry dance on this occasion, before sending a low cross fizzing across the face of goal, just too far in front of the incoming Berisha. Terry Antonis, arriving beyond all-comers, wasn't able to capitalise on the opening either.
Back came Wellington, a concerted spell of pressure which culminated in the game's opening goal. In the 21st minute, Ljujic worked a one-two with Sarpreet Singh before playing in Ridenton, who was denied by Thomas' fine save.
But the visitors had just two minutes more to wait before their enterprise was rewarded. Ridenton's corner arced to the far post, where Doyle was lurking with intent. In his eagerness to prevent the fullback from breaking the deadlock, Leigh Broxham inadvertently diverted the ball between Thomas and his left-hand upright - 1-0 Wellington.
They should have added to that tally at least once before the half-time whistle. Thomas pulled off a superb save to keep out Krishna's thirty yarder in the 27th minute, while after Theoharous squandered a glorious chance to level the scores, Wellington were left to rue the one which got away.
Liberato Cacace - outstanding throughout - threaded the ball through for Krishna, whose progress was thwarted by Thomas' brave save at his feet as he looked to round the approaching 'keeper just inside the penalty area.
The Fijian was seething inwardly, and his mood darkened still further in the shadows of the half-time whistle. After Oliver Sail had pulled off a fine reflex save to foil Berisha, Cacace and Ridenton combined with Nathan Burns to set up Krishna at the near post.
But Broxham's timely tackle meant Wellington were unable to add to the advantage he had afforded them prior to the half-time whistle, which could only be bad news for the visiting team, because you just knew that Melbourne wouldn't perform so indifferently for an entire match.
Sure enough, it took the home team just three minutes to get into their stride in the second spell. Antonis released Theoharous down the right, and he did Cacace a treat before picking out James Troisi at the near post, where he steered the ball just the wrong side of the upright.
But after that, Melbourne went off the boil again. Over the course of the next half-hour, the efforts of Cacace, Andrew Durante and Fox restricted the home team to just three attempts on goal of note -
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an overhead kick from James Donachie, a Berisha header from a Leroy George free-kick which flashed past the post, and a crossbar-clearing twenty-five yarder from Theoharous.
Could Wellington hold on for an unlikely win which would see them pass Central Coast Mariners on the table? The final ten minutes would tell the tale because with fresh legs off the bench in George and Kenny Athiu, Melbourne were coming home with a wet sail.
Athiu sparked things off ten minutes from time, linking with Carl Valeri, who floated a ball in for George. Sail initially came for it, but stopped upon realising he would get nowhere near it, then began back-pedalling furiously as George's header arced over him and grazed Sail's right-hand post.
It was a let-off for Wellington, and when Melbourne next attacked, their luck ran out. Fox's wild lunge sent Athiu sprawling inside the area, and from twelve yards, George made no mistake, sending Sail the wrong way from the penalty spot - 1-1, with seven minutes remaining.
Stunned, Wellington were instantly put under further pressure by the home team, for whom Theoharous blazed wildly over in the 84th minute when George was perfectly placed on the far post to turn the ball home.
Still they pressed, Troisi's left flank rampage culminating in a wicked low cross which careered across the goalmouth - it just needed a touch, but Athiu was just too far away to provide it.
His time was imminent, however, although had the match officials - particularly Video Assistant Referee Chris Beath - been doing their jobs properly, the match-winning goal wouldn't have been awarded.
Theoharous clearly pushed Ridenton from behind as Melbourne began a left flank raid which culminated in Troisi, momentarily free of Ridenton's presence on his shoulder, had time to deliver quality to the far post. Athiu plunged forward to meet the ball with a diving header which won the game, much to the visitors' ire.
Wellington were still seething with Mr Beath's non-decision - he is certainly building a healthy track record of making crucial calls which go against the club whenever he has an influence on their matches - when he made another call, albeit justified on this occasion.
Substitute Alex Rufer's retaliatory antics following an off-the-ball challenge were spotted by the VAR, who instructed referee Jarred Gillett to brandish the red card, thus reducing Wellington to ten men for the last couple of minutes of a match which was in their hands until the final ten minutes of the contest.
Instead, Melbourne claimed the victory, in the process earning themselves a home quarter-final in the upcoming play-offs. Their beaten opponents now head to Auckland's QBE Stadium for the final game of a nightmare campaign, with Melbourne City the team Wellington have to beat to avoid finishing last.
Melbourne: Thomas; Broxham, Donachie, Deng, Nigro; Antonis, Troisi, Sanchez (Valeri, 54); Ingham (George, 54), Berisha (Athiu, 72), Theophanous (booked, 89)
Wellington: Sail; Doyle (booked, 39) (McGlinchey, 46), Durante, Fox (booked, 82), Cacace; Ridenton, Singh, Paracki; Burns, Krishna (Rogerson, 81), Ljujic (Rufer, 71 (booked, 77) (sent off, 90))
Referee: Jarred Gillett
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