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14Feb21
Table-Toppers Sink Ten-Man Wellington
by Jeremy Ruane
A-League leaders Central Coast Mariners proved too strong for ten-man Wellington Phoenix at WIN Stadium on Valentine's Day, comfortably prevailing 2-0 in front of 2,248 fans against opponents whose numbers were reduced in the 27th minute following David Ball's wild challenge on Matt Simon.
Prior to that point, Wellington had proven highly competitive opponents, and were well on top during the first ten minutes of play, without ever threatening Mark Birighitti's goal.
Central Coast weathered the storm, however, and after Luke DeVere cut out Michal Janota's pass intended for Simon, the visitors found space on the left flank which Daniel De Silva exploited. He picked out Janota with a cross-field pass which the midfielder turned into a clipped cross for Jack Clisby - what was he doing that far forward? - headed over the top.
The fullback was in his more natural role when Central Coast next attacked, in the sixteenth minute. Clisby switched play to Janota, who brought the overlapping figure of Stefan Nigro into play. Cue De Silva's involvement, and his cross to the far post was plucked off Simon's head by Stefan Marinovic.
Seconds later, Wellington's goalkeeper turned away a swerving snapshot from Simon after the influential Oliver Bozanic picked out Central Coast's talismanic striker, who was brought down in the area by Joshua Laws in the 21st minute as Simon looked to get on the end of a cross from De Silva.
Referee Daniel Elder gave the defender the benefit of the doubt on that occasion, but when Ball flew in with an over the top tackle on Simon six minutes later, the official couldn't get the red card out of his pocket quickly enough. The challenge was a shocker, and there were no complaints from the Wellingtonians, whose cause was further hampered by an injury to Laws which saw him leave the field moments later.
From that moment on, the contest became a damage limitation exercise for the Kiwi team, although Matthew Ridenton's tackle on De Silva, which presented Clayton Lewis with a shooting chance which Birighitti greedily grabbed, gave them hope that not all was lost despite their numerical reduction.
The league leaders were too strong, however, and after Marinovic had parried then punched clear a twenty-five yard piledriver from Bozanic in the 34th minute, Central Coast opened the scoring five minutes before half-time.
De Silva and Marco Urena combined to prise open the Wellington rearguard, and Simon surged through the inside right channel - beating the offside trap in doing so - before angling a first-time shot across Marinovic and into the far corner of the net.
The ten men had been hoping to keep a clean sheet through to the half-time whistle, but with those hopes dashed, they threatened to collapse like a house of cards, particularly in the minutes after half-time.
Central Coast substitute Josh Nisbet fired an early warning across Wellington's bows, rattling the post with a twenty-yarder two minutes after the resumption of play. Two minutes later, a spell of pinball in the home team's penalty area resulted in Te Atawhai Hudson-Wihongi clumsily tripping De Silva.
Referee Elder had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, from where Bozanic buried a beauty in the top
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corner to put Central Coast well on the way to a further three points as their best start to the A-League in many a year continues unabated.
But for Marinovic, the visitors could have been out of sight by the hour mark. Bozanic and Urena combined on the left in the 51st minute, with the latter picking out Simon with a cross.
His drive was well saved to his right by Marinovic, who saved with his legs from the striker seven minutes later after Nisbet and De Silva attempted to work a one-two on the edge of the penalty area. Bozanic picked up the pieces and wriggled through to set up Simon for another shot, only to be thwarted at close quarters by the goalkeeper.
A rare Wellington raid shortly after the hour mark saw both Ulises Davila and Mirza Muratovic crowded out by Central Coast defenders, a raid which the table-toppers countered via Nisbet's superb cross-field pass which allowed De Silva to link with Urena and set up Bozanic for a twenty-five yard drive which came desperately close to finding the top near corner of the net.
Wellington's problems mounted still further in the 69th minute when DeVere departed the pitch with injury. Their failure to adequately replace their captain of last season, Steven Taylor, is now threatening to haunt their campaign, despite the fact they've still got a couple of slots in their squad to fill - four defeats in six games tells its own story.
They dodged a bullet in the 73rd minute when a Marinovic clearance ricocheted to safety off the back of Simon's head - it could just as easily have flown into the net! That was to be the Central Coast striker's last contribution to the match, one which his team could have won by a far greater margin - the scoreline flattered Wellington a bit, despite their competitiveness throughout the contest.
Eleven minutes from time, Bozanic sent Nisbet striding onto a sumptuous pass, but the half-time substitute snatched at a terrific chance to get on the scoresheet, an opportunity to which Wellington responded via captain Ulises Davila's industry on the right four minutes later, the Mexican's creativity opening the door for Mirza Muratovic to attempt to halve the deficit - he dragged his shot across the face of goal.
Three minutes from time, De Silva and Clisby combined on the left, with the fullback's early angled cross picking out substitute Daniel Bouman in the inside right channel. The fast-closing figure of James McGarry forced the newcomer to direct his effort into the stanchion.
Fellow substitute Alou Kuol spurned the chance to finish the game with a flourish in the dying minutes, the youngster dragging his shot past the post after both Nisbet and De Silva failed to convert a Bouman cross following fellow newcomer Lewis Miller released the attack-minded substitute down the right.
Central Coast had long since done enough to clinch the points, however, extending their advantage at the top to four points as they make their best start to a campaign for many a season. How Wellington must wish they could match their efforts …
Wellington: Marinovic; Payne (Fenton, 59), DeVere (McGing, 69), Laws (Hudson-Wihongi, 29), McGarry; Lewis, Ridenton, Rufer, Piscopo (Muratovic, 59); Davila, Ball (sent off, 27)
Central Coast: Birighitti; Nigro (Miller, 83 (booked, 84)), Tongyik, Rowles, Clisby; Janota (Nisbet, 46), Bozanic, Stensness, De Silva (Cassella, 90); Simon (Kuol, 77), Urena (Bouman, 77)
Referee: Daniel Elder
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