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14May22
Early Western Goal Ends Wellington's Season
by Jeremy Ruane
A goal with their first attack of the match allowed Western United to end Wellington Phoenix's Isuzu Ute A-League play-offs hopes on May 14, the higher-ranked team prevailing 1-0 in front of 3376 fans at AAMI Park to advance to a two-legged semi-final against Melbourne Victory.
The scoreline certainly didn't reflect the nature of the match, however, with both goals regularly coming under siege throughout a compelling contest. Wellington was first to threaten, Tim Payne releasing Gary Hooper to the right-hand by-line, from where his fourth minute pull-back, intended for Reno Piscopo, was cut out by the retreating Neil Kilkenny.
Two minutes later, Jamie Young made the first of many fine saves in this contest, plunging to his right to turn away a twenty-yarder from Piscopo, after Hooper had flicked on a raking Oliver Sail goal-kick.
Western responded with what would prove to be the game's decisive moment in the tenth minute. Ben Garuccio's cross from the left arced beyond Connor Pain to the unmarked Aleksandar Prijovic, who battered a volley into the roof of the net from eight yards out.
Wellington sought an immediate response, Clayton Lewis picking out Payne on the right, from where the fullback's first-time cross picked out the head of Hooper. His header swerved past the far post.
Western weathered the brief flurry which followed, and in the eighteenth minute Lachlan Wales found himself in acres of space on the right, from where he looked to pick out Pain. The retreating figure of Nick Pennington prevented that ambition from being realised, while Sail grabbed a looping header from Dylan Wenzel-Halls soon after.
United continued to press, Rene Krhin going close with a header before Pain nutmegged Finn Surman but drove his shot straight at Sail, who denied a Jerry Skotadis effort six minutes before half-time, moments after Prijovic had gone close with another effort during a strong spell by Western, which culminated in a cross-shot from Pain skimming the roof of the net on the stroke of half-time, seconds after Sail had saved another Wenzel-Halls attempt.
Amidst all this, Wellington had offered a rare threat, Piscopo seeing a 42nd minute shot blocked, while two minutes into the second spell Pennington sent a twenty yard volley sizzling over the bar following a cleared Gael Sandoval free-kick.
Western continued to enjoy the better of the exchanges, however, and only a vital Surman tackle denied Pain in the act of shooting in the 53rd minute after he had been played in by Prijovic, who was the beneficiary of a beautifully weighted delivery from Leo Lacroix four minutes later. The striker's header beat Sail all ends up, but landed on the roof of the net, rather than inside it.
Wellington responded through Piscopo, whose dipping twenty-five yarder on the run left Young standing, the 'keeper somewhat relieved to see the crossbar come to his aid. That close call inspired Western to press again, and in the 64th minute they squandered a glorious chance to double their lead.
Lacroix released Wales down the right, from where he crossed to the far post. Wenzel-Halls' header rebounded off Payne back to the young striker, who contrived to volley wide of the near post with just
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Sail to beat.
Back came the visitors, David Ball dashing down the right before delivering a super cross to the near post, where Ben Old somehow managed to head the ball over the bar from four yards out - a super chance to equalise.
Both goalkeepers were to the fore twenty minutes from time as Sail and Young pulled off quite incredible saves to ensure the scoreline was maintained. Wellington's 'keeper was called upon first, flying to his right to deny Pain's twenty-five yard drive.
Wellington immediately launched a counter-attack which culminated in a Payne cross to the far post, where substitute James McGarry soared over all-comers to send a bullet header goalwards nineteen minutes from time.
A few of his team-mates were so certain McGarry had equalised that they had their hands aloft in triumph, only to be forced to applaud one of the A-League's greatest saves by Young, who flung himself backwards and to his right to somehow paw the ball out from virtually on the line - words simply can't do this incredible save justice. It really was that good!
Having been denied what they thought was the equaliser, Wellington piled on the pressure in search of same. Piscopo danced past four opponents before lashing a twenty-yarder over the bar, while Lewis unleashed a twenty-five yarder on the run which was grabbed by Young, who plunged to his left to turn a Piscopo piledriver to safety thirteen minutes from time.
Frustrated, Piscopo invited substitute Ben Waine to make in-roads into Western's defence seconds later. The young striker duly set up fellow replacement Jaushua Sotirio, only for the covering figure of Joshua Risdon to come to United's aid.
A lapse by Surman nine minutes from time - he gave the ball away inside his own penalty area - saw McGarry bail out his team-mate by deflecting Wales' shot over the bar. In response, Wellington came again, Young forced to dash out of his penalty area to clear from Sotirio before Surman stabbed the ball wide from six yards following a Lewis free-kick four minutes from time.
Both teams enjoyed opportunities in stoppage time, with substitute Nicolas Milanovic denied by a super save from Sail before Young turned a twenty-five yarder from Old round the post after he'd worked a one-two with Pennington.
Wellington were unable to make the most of the resulting corner, and as a result, their play-off hopes were dashed for another year, one which has been extremely challenging for Ufuk Talay's charges, although they at least got to play on home soil in this campaign.
Western: Young; Imai (booked, 37), Krhin (Bozinovski, 74 (booked, 90)), Lacroix, Garuccio; Skotadis (Risdon, 69), Wenzel-Halls (Milanovic, 84 (booked, 87)), Kilkenny; Wales, Prijovic, Pain (booked, 90)
Wellington: Sail; Payne, Surman, Wootton, Sutton (McGarry, 69); Sandoval (Old, 54), Pennington, Lewis (booked, 51), Piscopo; Ball (Waine, 69), Hooper (Sotirio, 54)
Referee: Alex King
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