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11Jan25
Boos Heard For First Time As Wellington Lose Again
by Jeremy Ruane
Adelaide United temporarily climbed to the top of the Isuzu Ute A-League on 11 January, seeing off the challenge of Wellington Phoenix 2-1 at Sky Stadium, a result which condemned the home team to a fifth defeat in six matches, and prompted a few boos from the 7,113-strong crowd, some of whom are clearly tiring of the negative style of play coach Giancarlo Italiano encourages.
The visitors began their quest for a club record sixth consecutive away win by attacking from the outset, threatening in just the third minute. Ben Folami's deep cross was headed inside by Dylan Pierias to Archie Goodwin, whose looping header was eagerly grabbed by Josh Oluwayemi.
Wellington's response to this saw Costa Barbarouses intercept a pass on the right and promptly switch play to Sam Sutton, whose lay-off invited Hideki Ishige to let fly. The striker dragged his shot past the far post.
Back came United, their reward this time seeing them open the scoring in the seventh minute. They did so via a lovely move, with Goodwin and Peirias combining to send Zach Clough scurrying through the inside right channel. His cross to the far post was intended for Folami, but retreating defender Matt Sheridan intervened, only to divert the ball into his own net.
For a team which sets out its stall to not lose, conceding early goals - as they have done on numerous occasions this season - rather defeats the purpose of that strategy. And although Wellington enjoyed their fair share of possession after Adelaide's strong start to the contest, they did nothing with it to encourage the faithful in the stands, from where the growing silence was becoming deafening.
United, meanwhile, looked to build on their lead, Peirias dragging a shot past the near post before Scott Wootton blocked a twenty-yarder from Stefan Mauk before the half-hour mark. And nine minutes before half-time, a vital save by Oluwayemi denied Clough after Isaac Hughes had gifted him the ball on the edge of the penalty area.
Before the interval, Mauk was denied by Lukas Kelly-Heald's timely block, while Clough was once more frustrated by Oluwayemi, but United were good value for their one-goal advantage, and as the teams headed to the dressing rooms, some disgruntled Wellington fans made known their views re what they were being subjected to - entertainment this was not!
What Wellington needed in the second spell was an early goal, which would offer hope and encourage belief. And after Barbarouses saw a shot blocked by Panagiotis Kikianis, and Folami had fired past the post following good build-up work by both Peirias and Mauk, the home team got their wish in the fiftieth minute, Corban Piper heading home Ishige's
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corner to level the scores.
Suddenly there was a spring in Wellington's step again, and they looked to threaten their opponents, rather than sit back and invite United to attack. The visitors did that and more, however, Sheridan making amends for his "oggie" by blocking a Mauk drive in the 56th minute, before Peirias sent the ball soaring into the stands when scoring seemed the easier option sixty seconds later.
Oluwayemi punched an enterprising Clough free-kick to safety in the 63rd minute, then smothered a low angled drive from Kikianis soon after. Adelaide substitute Yaya Dukuly was next to threaten - his shot was deflected to safety, before Wellington twice went close to taking the lead twenty minutes from time.
An under-hit pass by Javi Lopez towards James Delianov forced the goalkeeper into a hurried clearance as Barbarouses showed more than a little interest in proceedings, while substitute Nathan Walker latched onto a loose ball soon after and invited Piper to deliver a cross which would have been turned home by Kazuki Nagasawa had Bart Vriends not rose high to head clear.
The urgings of Wellington's fans were silenced fifteen minutes from time, as Adelaide restored their early advantage. Peirias secured possession on the right and delivered a cross which, nine times out of ten, Oluwayemi would have gobbled up without incident.
This was the tenth time, for as he leapt above Wootton to claim the ball, the defender collided with his goalkeeper, forcing Oluwayemi to spill the sphere. Luka Jovanovic was hovering with intent, and pounced like a viper to slam the ball into the net - 2-1, and apart from the small pocket of celebrating United fans, silence engulfed Sky Stadium once more.
The home team looked to restore parity for a second time, with Nagasawa seeing his twenty yard volley saved by Delianov while Kelly-Heald had a shot blocked, both following Ishige corners.
But after Ryan White fired tamely at Oluwayemi five minutes from time, the game was up for Wellington, and their third loss on home turf this season was confirmed, a circumstance with which the natives are becoming increasingly restless. And with Sydney FC visiting in four days' time …
Wellington: Oluwayemi; Hughes, Wootton, Kelly-Heald; Sheridan, Piper (Brooke-Smith, 81), Retre, Al-Taay (Nagasawa, 62 (booked, 90)), Sutton (Walker, 46); Barbarouses, Ishige
Adelaide: Delianov; Peirias, Vriends (booked, 90), Kikianis, Lopez; Mauk (White, 82), Barnett (Isaias, 82), Alagich; Clough (Yull, 90), Goodwin (Jovanovic, 66 (booked, 90)), Folami (Dukuly, 66)
Referee: Alex King
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