The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home
21Nov21 | 27Nov21 | 03Dec21 | 10Dec21 | 19Dec21 | 01Jan22 | 21Jan22 | 06Feb22 | 09Feb22 | 12Feb22 | 16Feb22 | 19Feb22 | 09Mar22 | 12Mar22 | 18Mar22 | 26Mar22 | 30Mar22 | 02Apr22 | 05Apr22 | 09Apr22 | 13Apr22 | 17Apr22 | 24Apr22 | 29Apr22 | 05May22 | 09May22 | 14May22
09Mar22
Wellington Edge Newcastle In Five-Goal Thriller
by Jeremy Ruane
Wellington Phoenix overcame Newcastle Jets 3-2 in front of 573 fans at Gosford's Central Coast Stadium on March 9 to climb into the play-off spots in the Isuzu Ute A-League, and they have games in hand on all the teams above them.
They also extended their unbeaten run to seven games with this victory, one which was hard-earned against opponents who dominated possession, but failed to convert same into something tangible on the scoreboard.
The match was something of a slow-burner initially, just a couple of chances materialising inside the opening quarter of the contest. Gael Sandoval was at the heart of three of them, shooting past each upright - on the second occasion after bringing the ball down in exquisite fashion - after slipping a delicious pass into the stride of Jaushua Sotirio, whose approach prompted Michael Weier to race off his line and save at the speedster's feet.
Newcastle responded via fierce drives from Olivier Boumal and Daniel Penha, both of which were parried to safety in style by Oliver Sail, who brilliantly tipped to safety a twenty-five yard strike by Penha on the half-hour.
Wellington had taken the lead by this time, Sotirio doing the honours from the penalty spot in the 25th minute after he had been clumsily brought down in the area by Matt Jurman in response to latching onto Sandoval's lofted ball over the top.
Weier was given no chance by the spot-kick, but prevented Wellington from doubling their lead in the 29th minute when smothering Clayton Lewis' well-struck free-kick. This prompted the Novocastrians to pile on the pressure in search of an equaliser, Angus Thurgate and Beka Mikeltadze central to much of their pursuit of same.
Wellington were using the counter-attack to good effect, however. In the 35th minute, Lewis sent Ben Waine scooting down the left, from where he picked out Sotirio with a cross which invited the striker to go close with a first time stabbed effort from ten yards.
Newcastle's response saw Dylan Murnane dash down the left before looking to pick out Mikeltadze with a cross. Scott Wootton intervened on this occasion, but it wasn't long before the fullback was flying down the left again, this time combining with Boumal to present Jason Hoffman with the chance to let fly.
His 39th minute piledriver flashed narrowly over the angle. But within three minutes, Newcastle had the goal their efforts merited, Savvas Siatravanis, Thurgate and Mikeltadze combining in splendid fashion for Penha, whose thumping fifteen yarder arrowed into the bottom far corner of the net with such speed that Sail barely moved.
Wellington complained about the validity of the strike, Boumal being in an offside position and in Sail's line of sight when Penha let fly, a view supported by the raised flag of the referee's assistant. Referee Ben Abraham consulted with his colleague and with the Video Assistant Referee before confirming the goal would stand.
Newcastle was still celebrating mentally when Sandoval evaded a challenge and sent Waine buccaneering down the left in first half stoppage time. Having evaded the offside trap, the youngster made a beeline for goal before curling a sumptuous strike around Weier and into the far corner of the net to restore Wellington's lead on the stroke of half-time.
Once play resumed, Wellington was eager to consolidate their advantage. Sam Sutton, Sandoval and David Ball combined to present Tim Payne with a chance within a minute of play resuming. Weier was equal to this, and to a Sandoval effort four minutes later as the nominated home team at this neutral venue looked to notch a third goal.
|
The nominated away team had other ideas, however. Mikeltadze went close with an acrobatic attempt in the 55th minute, and seconds later unleashed a murderous ten yard thunderbolt which would have decapitated someone had they attempted to head it to safety. It didn't miss the far post by much, either.
This came from a free-kick awarded to Newcastle on halfway, following a reckless lunge on Hoffman by Waine which left the striker asking the whereabouts of the nearest Lotto store in Gosford.
Having earlier in the day been named in the All Whites' World Cup qualifying squad, how he avoided any punishment for this studs-up challenge suggests he would have got some return from a lucky dip ticket! Such is life in Waine's world!
Newcastle pressed again, Sutton blocking a close-range header before Sail grabbed a Thurgate effort, minutes before tipping a Penha piledriver over the bar in fine fashion. But he couldn't keep everything out, and in the 63rd minute, Newcastle drew level for a second time - and again, it was highly contentious, so much so that Wellington coach Ufuk Talay earned a yellow card for the ferocity of his protestations.
He had good reason to complain, for Lewis was fouled by Murnane when in possession just outside the Wellington penalty area, presenting Newcastle with the ball. The fullback fed Thurgate, and Mikeltadze and Penha were swiftly brought into play before Boumal was found in plenty of space on the opposite side of the penalty area, from where he thrashed a shot past Sail - 2-2.
Wellington weren't best pleased, and delayed the restart, something both teams had done earlier in the match as a means of displaying their disagreement with the decision made by officialdom.
This unwelcome practice is creeping into the game globally, and needs stamping down on sharpish - as it's dissent by a team, the captain should wear the yellow card. Too bad if he's already been booked!
Buoyed by their equaliser, Newcastle pressed again in the 67th minute, Sail dashing out of his area to clear off the toes of Thurgate. Cue a lull in proceedings, ahead of a thrilling climax in the last ten minutes of play.
Newcastle threatened first, Penha feeding substitute Valentino Yuel through the inside right channel. He was forced to check, and laid the ball back to fellow newcomer Samuel Silvera, who turned this way and that before eventually engineering an angle which allowed him to lash a low drive narrowly past the far post nine minutes from time.
Wellington's response was emphatic - 3-2, two minutes from time. Lewis sent Sutton scampering down the left to the by-line, from where he delivered a measured cross to the near post. Flying in to meet it was Ball, whose six-yard header bulleted across the stunned figure of Weier and into the far corner of the net.
Newcastle piled on the pressure in pursuit of a dramatic equaliser, but Sail proved equal to their best effort, plunging to his left to keep out a well-struck twenty-five yard free-kick from Mikeltadze, who was unable to continue his recent rich vein of goalscoring form in this contest, one which sees the victorious Wellingtonians climb into the top six, with games in hand on all the teams above them.
Wellington: Sail; Payne (Fenton, 89), Wootton, Laws (booked, 5), Sutton (booked, 90); Sotirio, Rufer (Pennington, 79), Lewis, Sandoval; Waine (Old, 79), Ball (Surman, 90)
Newcastle: Weier; Hoffman, Elsey, Jurman (booked, 23), Murnane (booked, 83) (Ingham, 86); Thurgate, Penha (Babalj, 86), Blasco (O'Doherty, 65 (booked, 76)); Boumal (Yuel, 74), Mikeltadze, Siatravanis (booked, 40) (Silvera, 74)
Referee: Ben Abraham
|