A thunderous thirty-five yard Leo Bertos free-kick five minutes from time clinched a scarcely deserved 2-1 Hyundai A-League victory for Wellington Phoenix over Perth Glory in atrocious weather conditions at Westpac Stadium on August 16. Bertos' bullet broke the hearts of his former club, who had looked the more likely side to break the deadlock throughout the second spell, having been gifted a fourth minute opener by Wellington midfielder Michael Ferrante. Having already copped a first minute booking, the 10,024 fans cheering on the home team looked on open-mouthed as Ferrante's horror start continued, Victor Sikora catching him in possession some twenty-five yards out from his own goal. The Australian international powered on into the penalty area before placing a precise shot past Mark Paston who was, like his Wellington team-mates, completely stunned by this early setback. It took Wellington four minutes to recover their equilibrium. The artful Diego Walsh - a delightful debut display - opened up Perth's left flank with a peach of a pass into the stride of the overlapping Manny Muscat, who got to the by-line before pulling the ball back. Paul Ifill met the ball in full stride, and only a brilliant fingertip save round his post by Tando Velaphi prevented the striker's full-blooded twelve yard volley from bringing about parity. Given the weather - a typical howling Cook Strait southerly supplemented by driving rain and chilly temperatures, it was little wonder the quality of football on offer was well below par in the early stages, with both teams struggling to string three passes together as they struggled to come to terms with the inclement conditions. Eventually, the locals began to gel, and a twentieth minute corner from Bertos found Chris Greenacre ghosting in on the far post. His header flashed over the bar on this occasion, while a minute later, the number nine's textbook target-man play saw Walsh loom up in support on his right. The Brazilian took the measured pass on in his stride before whipping in a wicked cross which had the fast-arriving Bertos as its intended target. Velaphi had other ideas, however, and saved at the flank player's feet. Bertos wasn't done with, however, and in the 24th minute, engineered the equaliser. Storming down the right, he jinked inside a defender before whipping in an angled cross into the heart of the goalmouth. Dashing in to meet it on the edge of the six-yard box was Ifill, and his header bulleted past Velaphi before the 'keeper had a chance to react. 1-1 then, but things were to get worse for Perth. Already burdened with injuries prior to heading east, they were forced to make two substitutions before the half-hour mark due to fitness issues, and nearly found themselves trailing on the scoreboard eleven minutes before half-time as they attempted to come to terms with their reshuffled line-up. Ifill, his tail up after scoring his first goal for his new club, fancied his chances of a second, and duly took the ball off his own team-mate, Jon McKain, before engineering some space in which to unleash a twenty-yard screamer. The shot had 'Goal' written all over it, but Velaphi produced a fine parried save to maintain parity, the 'keeper using the power in the shot to send the ball flying back past the incoming figure of Greenacre, who was closing in for the kill had the 'keeper attempted to catch the sphere. After Branko Jelic had forced a smothered save from the hitherto untroubled Paston - aside from the early goal, and Adriano Pellegrino's sixteenth minute free-kick which fizzed past his post, he had largely been a spectator - both teams forced corners in the final minutes of the half, with mixed results. Wellington were first to attempt to break the deadlock via this means, Bertos' delivery picking out the head of Andrew Durante, an effort which was directed straight at Velaphi, who launched a swift counter-attack. It earned Perth a corner, which Pellegrino whipped into the danger zone. Substitute Todd Howarth's header was splendidly headed off the line by Muscat, who was to be given a right royal roasting

by Howarth throughout a second half dominated by the visitors. But not before early pressure from Wellington had forced Velaphi into an awful sliced clearance. Fortunately for the 'keeper, the elements were on his side, while Scott Neville's vital clearance foiled Wellington players homing in on the far post in the 49th minute, after Walsh had flicked on Bertos' free-kick. Perth countered seconds later with a glorious move deserving of better fate. Wayne Srhoj and Mile Sterjovski teamed up outside the penalty area, with the playmaker slipping the ball into it for Jelic. His deft back-heel opened up Wellington's defence, and invited substitute Andrija Jukic to let fly without breaking stride as he steamed through the middle. Unfortunately for Perth, the ball sailed over the bar. After Velaphi had plucked a McKain cross off the head of Greenacre, Perth conjured up another intricate move in the 58th minute. Sterjovski was again at its heart, spraying the ball wide to Howarth, whose delightfully weighted cross to the near post picked out the darting run of Jelic. His header looped over Paston but hit the crossbar. As Wellington reeled from this scare, Perth attacked again, Pellegrino this time picking out Howarth, who stood up Muscat a treat before again targeting the head of Jelic with his cross. This time, the striker had to stretch for the delivery, and headed over the bar as he fell backwards. After Velaphi had dealt with a tame effort from Walsh, and Pellegrino had headed off the line from the same player, after Bertos' corner had picked out Ben Sigmund's head, Perth resumed their all-out assault on Wellington's goal in the 66th minute. Srhoj launched a swift counter-attack, playing Sterjovski in, the playmaker having got in behind Sigmund. His twenty-yarder skidded inches past the post, seconds after which Perth contrived to miss another gilt-edged chance, the architect of which was Howarth. Muscat was left trailing in his slipstream once more as he rampaged down the left to the by-line, from where he pulled the ball back into Naum Sekulovski's path. The fullback, up in support, slipped the sphere inside for Jelic … Sterjovski … Jukic … none of them appeared keen to shoot, and a glorious opportunity duly went begging, albeit with some reward, in the form of a corner. Perth captain Jacob Burns whipped the ball into the near post, where Jukic was arriving bang on cue … and again, the crossbar shook! The visitors couldn't believe their ill-fortune - were they fated not to win this game, despite their second half dominance? Ferrante sent a twenty-five-yarder fizzing past Paston's left-hand post twenty minutes from time as Wellington began to get a toe-hold in the match again, the midfielder then combining with Tony Lochhead twelve minutes later to present Daniel with a headed opportunity. The substitute's attempt was tame, and gave Velaphi little trouble. Unlike Bertos five minutes from time. There appeared little danger when Wellington were awarded a free-kick some thirty-five yards from Perth's goal, but given the wet conditions, Bertos went for broke, and with the assistance of a slight deflection, unleashed an unstoppable free-kick beyond the diving figure of Velaphi and into the net, to the undisguised delight of Wellington's faithful. They had to survive a last-minute twenty yard shot on the turn from substitute Matthew Mayora before they could truly begin celebrating Wellington's first win of the season, however, but when solidly performed referee Peter O'Leary blew the final whistle, the "Yellow Fever" crew heartily roared their approval, leaving Perth to wonder how another game from which they deserved at least a share of the spoils had got away from them. Wellington:     Paston; Muscat (booked, 15), Sigmund, Durante, Lochhead; Walsh (Hearfield, 73), Ferrante (booked, 1), McKain (Lia, 76), Bertos; Ifill (Daniel, 73), Greenacre Perth:          Velaphi; Neville, Todd, Coyne (Jukic, 26), Sekulovski; Pellegrino (booked, 84) (Mayora, 88), Srhoj (booked, 77), Burns, Sikora (Howarth, 29); Jelic, Sterjovski Referee:     Peter O'Leary