A switch from their usual flat back four to a back three aided Wellington Phoenix's Isuzu Ute A-League cause on April 9, as they bounced back to winning ways in fine style at Ballarat's Morshead Park, thrashing second-placed Western United 4-1 in front of 1,423 fans. Having shipped six and five goals respectively in their last two matches, Wellington coach Ufuk Talay opted to shore up his defence for this clash against the title-chasers, and it paid off in spectacular fashion with a victory which propelled the Kiwi contenders into fourth spot, from seventh at the start of play. United were first to threaten via delightful four-man move in the fifth minute. Ben Garuccio, Aleksandar Prijovic and Steven Lustica combined to create an opening for Lachlan Wales, who took on Tim Payne before lashing a twenty-yarder narrowly over the crossbar. Successive Western corners followed as the home team looked to establish an early lead, with Garuccio's ninth minute flicked on by Prijovic for Rene Krhin, whose ambitious overhead kick cleared the crossbar. Wellington first threatened in the seventeenth minute when Nicholas Pennington pinged the ball downfield, inviting Jaushua Sotirio to get in behind United's defence. Nikolai Topor-Stanley shut down the threat he posed on this occasion, and prompted a Western counter-attack featuring Connor Pain's left-flank raid, on which he got the better of Callan Elliot before fizzing a cross narrowly across the bows of the incoming figures of Prijovic and Wales. The visitors looked to muster another attack in the immediate aftermath of this, but Reno Piscopo's pass to Sam Sutton was pounced on by Tomoki Imai. Wales took up the charge, and his cross flew just beyond the incoming figure of Prijovic - the home team certainly weren't shy in making their intentions known! A Garuccio free-kick soon followed, and Oliver Sail certainly paid attention to the opportunity arising from it, a looping header from Prijovic which arced just over the bar. The striker went closer still in the 26th minute, displaying neat control to rein in a Pain pass before directing a shot on the turn straight at Sail. That attempt was preceded by Wellington's second opportunity of the contest, David Ball leading a counter-attack from halfway inside his own half after Scott Wootton had tackled Pain. Ball duly unleashed the pace of Sotirio, who swept past an opponent before blazing a shot over the angle of post and crossbar. When the visitors next attacked, referee Daniel Elder turned down their penalty claims with Sotirio having been upended by Leo Lacroix's rugged challenge at the climax of a Piscopo-led attack. Wellington's next raid would prove far more fruitful - they took the lead in the 29th minute with a textbook set-piece routine. Gael Sandoval's corner was flicked on by Ball at the near post, and the unmarked figure of Wootton was delighted to break the deadlock on the far upright. Three minutes later, United were in complete disarray as Wellington doubled their advantage. Finn Surman broke up a home team attack, allowing Ball to release Sandoval on the counter-attack. The Mexican threaded a pass through for Sotirio, whose first touch took a deflection off Lacroix and flew past Jamie Young. The 'keeper got a hand to it, but having been the superior side during the opening half-hour, Western suddenly found

themselves two goals down and facing the proverbial mountain-scaling exercise. Straight away, United retaliated, Krhin leading the charge. Sail produced a fine one-handed save low to his left to deny the midfielder, whose attempt to halve the deficit proved to be Western's last threat of the half. On the stroke of half-time, Wellington increased their lead still further, Sandoval slotting a penalty awarded after Pennington had been fouled in the area by Garuccio, seconds after Piscopo had been splendidly denied by Imai, who thwarted a certain goal in the shadows of the crossbar. His efforts were for nought, however, thanks to his fellow fullback's failings. Western had to score next if they harboured hopes of getting something out of this contest, and they duly reduced the deficit in the 55th minute, after a spell of concerted pressure since play had resumed after the interval. Prijovic played the ball forward to half-time substitute Dylan Wenzel-Halls, who invited Lustica to join the attack. He worked a one-two with Prijovic before lashing an unerring low drive across Sail and into the bottom right-hand corner of the net. 3-1 - game on, for all of eight minutes. For after Wellington's first threat of the half had resulted in Sotirio battering a twenty-five yarder past the post, the striker restored the visitors' three-goal advantage with a six-yard shot on the turn into the far corner of the net, Piscopo having picked him out after splendidly sweeping past two en route to the by-line. The balance of the match was largely played in Wellington's half, with Western striving in vain to peg back their opponents' advantage. Wootton's vital tackle denied Lustica in the 65th minute, after the United man had seen his initial shot blocked. Six minutes later, and after Lacroix had been allowed to stay on the park despite employing bullying tactics upon Piscopo as he lay on the ground following a challenge, Pain pounced on a Payne error to present Wenzel-Halls with the chance to take on Wellington's defence. He wriggled through three challenges, but Surman proved to be one opponent too many for the substitute, who had a goal ruled out by the offside flag in the 78th minute after Prijovic, who had gone close with a long-range effort two minutes prior, had strayed offside in the build-up. Pain twice went close inside the last ten minutes, firing wildly wide before being brought to earth in the penalty area by Wootton's challenge - well-positioned referee Elder saw no offence, much to the ire of Western, for whom Lustica drew a smothering save from Sail soon after. Ball, with a tame shot which forced a save from Reddy, and Lacroix exchanged shots on goal before the final whistle, just prior to which Wellington looked to introduce young substitute Riley Bidois to the fray. The final whistle sounded before he could take to the park, however, meaning no win bonus for the youngster as a result of Wellington's hard-earned 4-1 triumph. Western:     Young; Imai (Wenzel-Halls, 46), Lacroix (booked, 47), Topor-Stanley, Garuccio; Krhin (Skotadis, 68), Lustica, Kilkenny; Wales, Prijovic (booked, 34), Pain Wellington:     Sail; Surman, Wootton, Payne; Elliot (booked, 84), Pennington, Sandoval (booked, 21), Sutton, Piscopo (Old, 76); Ball, Sotirio (Waine, 70) Referee:     Daniel Elder