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12Feb23
Penalty Saves Abound As Macarthur Downs Wellington
by Jeremy Ruane
Macarthur Bulls came from behind to down Wellington Phoenix 2-1 in front of 2543 fans at Campbelltown Stadium on February 12 in an Isuzu Ute A-League fixture which featured three saved penalties and a goal disallowed by the Video Assistant Referee.
The visitors got off to the perfect start, opening the scoring in the fourth minute. Joshua Laws' ball over the top allowed Oskar Zawada to set up Bozhidar Kraev, who volleyed home superbly from twelve yards to give Wellington the early advantage.
Stung by the goal, Macarthur sought a swift riposte, Jed Drew stinging Oli Sail's gloves with a cross-shot before Daniel Arzani got in behind Lucas Mauragis and pulled the ball back from the by-line for Ulises Davila, only for Wellington to clear their lines.
Seconds earlier, the visitors had gone close to doubling their lead, Filip Kurto diving to his right to prevent Zawada from heading home Steven Ugarkovic's cross. Then in the thirteenth minute, it was the turn of Kraev to be frustrated by the 'keeper, Kurto parrying the Bulgarian's eight-yard drive after a lovely flowing move which featured David Ball and Callan Elliot combining neatly on the right.
Seconds later, Elliot's angled pull-back for Yan Sasse was foiled by the vigilance of Aleksandar Susnjar, whose timely tackle saved a certain goal. And in the seventeenth minute, Alex Rufer's pass found Mauragis in yards of space on the left, from where he delivered an angled ball which Ball was just unable to steer goalwards.
Macarthur managed to wrestle back the ascendancy before the half-hour, Jake Hollman stinging Sail's gloves from twenty-five yards before the 'keeper produced a fine block to foil Moudi Najjar at close quarters after Hollman and Davila had combined to open up Wellington's defence.
Back came the visitors, Kurto saving from Kraev. But the home team weren't to be denied an equaliser, and scored it in the 32nd minute. Rufer lost possession outside Wellington's penalty area, and Arzani was swift to pounce, instantly picking out Davila.
The Mexican turned past Laws before weaving through the challenges of Payne and Elliot before drilling an angled drive through the legs of Sail and into the far corner of the net - 1-1, a super individual goal by Macarthur's recruit from their Shaky Isles-based opponents.
That certainly got Wellington's attention, and they were back in the groove almost instantly. Kraev worked a one-two with Sasse - a delectable return pass - only for Kurto to dash out and save at his feet in the 35th minute.
Two minutes later, Kraev found himself in space on the left, from where he clipped a cross to the far post. Ivan Vujica was retreating towards his own goal, and did superbly well to direct his headed clearance back across goal and narrowly past the post nearer Kraev for a corner.
The resulting delivery saw Ball flattened by Arzani, prompting referee Alireza Faghani to instantly point to the penalty spot. There was a delay before the kick could be taken while Ball received treatment to aid his recovery - he was definitely seeing stars after this clash - but when play could resume Zawada was tasked with scoring in his sixth successive match.
Kurto dived to his left to parry the penalty, with Sasse the first to react to the rebound. His cross zoomed across the bows of the stunned figure of Zawada and carried on across the goalmouth - a real let-off for Macarthur.
Within seconds, however, there was another incident in the home team's penalty area, Kraev this time finding himself on the wrong end of a challenge from Kearyn Baccus. The referee missed the incident, but the Video Assistant Referee invited Mr Faghani to have a gander at the screen, and he was pointing to the penalty spot almost immediately, with the offender fortunate to escape with only a caution.
Sasse stepped up to take the spot-kick this time, and put it to the opposite side from that targeted by Zawada. It mattered not to Kurto - he simply dived to his right to turn this one to safety as well, frustrating his former club again in the process.
Wellington were still reeling from their failure to retake the lead when Hollman scampered in off the left before letting fly in the shadows of the half-time whistle. Sail was right behind the effort, and launched a counter-attack which culminated in
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Payne's free-kick from the left flank just failing to be met by Rufer's glancing header as he got in behind the defence.
Macarthur were swiftly out of the blocks in the second spell, with Sail smothering another Hollman effort after half-time substitute Al Hassan Toure had cut in off the left flank just three minutes after entering the fray.
Sixty seconds later, the locals were delighted as Macarthur took the lead. Davila pounced on a stray Wellington pass and threaded the ball through to Drew, whose shot was blocked. The rebound fell kindly for Najjar to slip the sphere past Sail - 2-1 Macarthur.
Wellington sought a swift equaliser, Rufer narrowly astray from twenty-five yards. But the home team now had the bit between their teeth, and proceeded to pound away in search of more goals. Matt Millar went close before referee Faghani was pointing to the penalty spot for the third time in the game after Payne tripped Toure on the edge of the area.
Up stepped Davila, but Sail remembered his old team-mate's tendencies, and plunged to his right to save well and maintain the 2-1 scoreline in the 57th minute, a denial on which the visitors eagerly sought to provide them with renewed momentum in their search for parity.
Zawada and substitute Ben Old combined to present Ball with a shooting chance in the 61st minute, one to which Kurto proved equal. Wellington then produced a lovely move, with Rufer and Old - a lovely ball into space - combining with Ball, who picked out Kraev with a gem of a cross. Sadly for the visitors, the Bulgarian steered his effort narrowly past the far post.
Laws then picked out Kraev in the 65th minute, and his switch of play invited Ball to buccaneer down the right at pace. The striker's deflected cross had Kurto in all sorts of bother, but much to the goalkeeper's relief, the ball went past the far post rather than inside it.
From the resulting corner, Ugarkovic set off on a run, sweeping past an opponent before driving a low cross into the danger zone for Old to exploit. The substitute, at full stretch, steered his attempt over the bar.
Back came Macarthur, Sail right behind a Davila drive in the 73rd minute before brilliantly turning a delicious improvised curling effort from Ali Auglah over the bar - both the execution and denial were examples of football at its best.
The resulting corner, taken by Auglah, saw Millar sky his shot from six yards, prompting his withdrawal from the fray. His departure allowed Sam Sutton some space in which to operate down Wellington's left flank, and his 82nd minute sorty resulted in Kraev being thwarted by Hollman's timely tackle.
Back came Macarthur, and as the game entered stoppage time, Najjar found the back of the net once more. But a foul by Auglah in the build-up was spotted by the VAR - 2-1 it remained. Unperturbed, the pair combined again, Auglah's low cross intended for Najjar. But Laws intervened, and sparked a counter-attack which prompted last-minute drama in Macarthur's penalty area.
Oskar Van Hattum was bursting into the box when fellow substitute Jake McGing, in sheer desperation, hauled him back, prompting the youngster to go to ground in the area - a penalty, surely? And was McGing the last defender?
All eyes were on referee Faghani, who had a clear view of the incident. Awarding a fourth penalty in the match was not on his agenda, however. Instead, unbelievably, he booked Van Hattum for simulation, something which the youngster could not fathom. He wasn't alone.
As final acts in football games go, this was right up there as far as wacky and bizarre incidents are concerned. And the sound of the final whistle not only brooked no argument, it allowed Macarthur to draw level with sixthWellington on the table as the race for the play-off positions intensifies.
Macarthur: Kurto; Millar (McGing, 81), Uskok, Susnjar (Jones, 72), Vujica; Baccus (booked, 43) (De Silva, 58), Davila, Hollman; Drew (booked, 36) (Auglah, 72), Najjar, Arzani (Toure, 46)
Wellington: Sail; Elliot, Payne (booked, 34), Laws, Mauragis (Sutton, 64); Sasse (Old, 53), Rufer (booked, 45) (Pennington, 72), Ugarkovic, Kraev; Ball (Van Hattum, 72 (booked, 90)), Zawada
Referee: Alireza Faghani
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