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20Jan25
Super-Saver Kelly Inspires Rare Wellington Win
by Jeremy Ruane
A string of super saves by Alby Kelly-Heald helped Wellington Phoenix pull off an unlikely come-from-behind 2-1 win over Macarthur Bulls at the Campbelltown Sports Centre on 20 January, as the visitors recorded their first Isuzu Ute A-League win of 2025.
In truth, there was only one team in this match up to the hour mark, and how Macarthur didn't already have the three points wrapped up complete with a fancy bow on top only they can explain, although Kelly-Heald's efforts in Wellington's goal certainly had a lot to do with it.
That said, Wellington were very effective in pressing Macarthur in the home team's half of the pitch, as evidenced by the game's first attack, in the fifth minute. A stray Matt Jurman pass was pounced on by Luke Supyk, who fed the supporting run of Sam Sutton. He played the ball inside to Costa Barbarouses, but he was closed down well by a cluster of defenders just inside Macarthur's penalty area.
Cue a clearance downfield, unleashing the pace of Jed Drew down the right. He set up Jake Hollman for a shot which deflected to safety off the retreating figure of Hideki Ishige, who sent a twenty-five yarder flying past Filip Kurto's left-hand post in the fourteenth minute with Wellington's next attack.
Before then, Macarthur had gone close to opening the scoring. Bernardo buccaneered down the left before linking with Ivan Vujica, who brought early substitute Daniel De Silva - on for ankle injury victim Liam Rose - into play. The newcomer had only just entered the fray, but wasted little time in setting his sights, firing narrowly past the post from the edge of the penalty area.
On the quarter hour, Luke Brattan sent Drew dashing down the right. After escaping the clutches of Lukas Kelly-Heald, the winger was afforded the freedom of Wellington's defensive third - the visitors' efforts in this area of the field left a lot to be desired - and unleashed a shot which Alby Kelly-Heald tipped onto the post.
The visitors scrambled the ball to safety, but it wasn't long before it was coming back at them, this time with due reward for Macarthur's attacking endeavours. Brattan sent Drew down the right again, the winger this time getting in behind the defence before angling the ball back into the stride of the untracked Hollman, whose unerring finish from the edge of the area found the back of the net despite Kelly-Heald's best efforts to parry it to safety.
Macarthur opened Wellington up again soon after, Paulo Retre having given the ball away cheaply. Bernardo's cross for Drew was volleyed to safety by Lukas Kelly-Heald, while when the winger next threatened, upon being picked out by Valere Germain's cross-field pass in the 24th minute, he got the better of Scott Wootton, only to find that Wellington's defenders were there in numbers to back up their captain - there was no way through for Drew this time.
On the half-hour, Da Silva opened up Wellington's rearguard with a terrific through ball for Drew, who pulled it back into the stride of Bernardo. Kazuki Nagasawa slid in to divert the ball away from the striker, Wootton completing the clearance as the visitors came under siege.
A rare Wellington raid offered their rearguard some reprieve in the 34th minute, Retre's probing through ball falling invitingly for Supyk. Jurman wasn't having a bar of it, however, and normal service soon resumed.
Cue the goalkeeping exploits of Alby Kelly-Heald, who pulled off four fine saves in a ninety-second spell to frustrate Macarthur's goal-hungry forward line. Bernardo - twice, Da Silva and Ollie Jones were all frustrated by the young custodian, who only made his debut for Wellington five days ago.
Wellington continued to ride their luck, Hollman sending a cross zooming across the six-yard box which a defender nearly diverted into his own net, while Germain rattled the side-netting with the last act of the half, although the visitors had twice threatened an equaliser in between times.
A slick interchange between Retre, Nagasawa and Ishige opened the door for Supyk, only for Kealey Adamson to slam it shut, while Barbarouses drew a rare save from Kurto as he looked to exploit a mistimed headed clearance.
Macarthur tore into their opponents from the outset in the second spell, Adamson, Drew and Germain combining neatly, only for Hollman to mis-time his run onto Germain's lay-off, the ball rolling just
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behind the midfielder as he looked to double his and Macarthur's goal tally for the match in the 49th minute.
Retre ended up the worse for wear after he intervened to curtail Da Silva's progress soon after, and while he was receiving treatment off the field, Kelly-Heald came to Wellington's rescue, diving to his left to turn a Da Silva shot to safety.
After Drew had blazed over following more good work by Da Silva, the winger's fiercely struck drive was blocked by Alby Kelly-Heald in the 58th minute, while Drew lifted the ball over both advancing goalkeeper and crossbar seconds later, Marin Jakolis, Hollman and Germain having combined to create the opening for him.
In among these efforts by Drew to increase Macarthur's lead were two attempts by Wellington to level the scores. Nagasawa volleyed over after Fin Roa-Conchie and Sutton had combined in the 55th minute, while sixty seconds later Retre and Ishige joined forces for the benefit of Barbarouses, whose low cross was gobbled up by Kurto.
The tall custodian was called upon to keep out an Ishige header on the hour, Barbarouses having fashioned the opportunity, then looked on as Jones blocked a Roa-Conchie drive after Sutton had turned Adamson on the left.
Back came Macarthur, Da Silva and Drew working a one-two, only for Lukas Kelly-Heald to come to Wellington's rescue this time as he blocked the substitute's shot. It was Sutton's turn to keep the home team at bay next, with Drew the frustrated party. But Macarthur as a whole were frustrated by this time, as moments before this effort, Wellington had equalised.
Retre and Barbarouses worked an opening, but it was the brilliant improvised back-heeled pass from Ishige which, in the words of Sir Michael Caine, "blew the bloody doors off" Macarthur's rearguard. Nagasawa took full advantage, rifling the ball into the far corner of the net to level the scores in the 65th minute.
The home team's frustrations weren't aided by poor finishing soon afterwards. As well as Drew's effort, Jakolis spurned a terrific chance after being picked out by Brattan's beautifully flighted ball over the defence in the 67th minute.
Wellington responded with the move which resulted in them taking the lead. Roa-Conchie pinged one forward for Barbarouses to chase, and Kurto needlessly and foolishly felled the striker after he had rounded the 'keeper near the left-hand edge of Macarthur's penalty area.
The prospect of Barbarouses scoring from where he was fouled was extremely unlikely, but relocate the ball to the penalty spot and those prospects change dramatically, particularly when the penalty-taker has his 100th A-League goal in his sights. Kurto was sent the wrong way by Barbarouses, who celebrated his milestone goal in the 71st minute in front of "The Little Corner Of Yellow", Wellington's Australian-based supporters.
Now all the pressure was on Macarthur, who found themselves 2-1 down in a game they should have won by half-time. They duly lay siege to Wellington's goal in the final twenty-odd minutes of the match, but came up against a yellow brick wall, with the visitors effectively setting up camp within thirty yards of their goal and saying to Macarthur, "Find a way through if you can!"
They tried, but for the most part they fired wayward shots from distance. It was only in stoppage time when Macarthur truly threatened, and that was only after a vital Jurman tackle had denied Wellington substitute Nathan Walker from wrapping things up five minutes from time.
Hollman picked out the unmarked Chris Ikonomidis with a cross which he headed wide from six yards, while Alby Kelly-Heald blocked a close range header from Walter Scott before Hollman's volleyed lob landed on the roof of the net, the last chance of the game for Macarthur as Wellington prevailed 2-1 to record just their second win in their last eight matches, with this victory very much down to the exploits of Alby Kelly-Heald in goal.
Macarthur: Kurto; Adamson (Scott, 72), Jurman, Jones, Vujica; Rose (De Silva, 10), Hollman, Brattan; Drew (Ikonomidis, 84), Germain, Bernardo (Jakolis, 46)
Wellington: A. Kelly-Heald (booked, 87); Piper, Hughes, Wootton, L. Kelly-Heald; Ishige, Nagasawa, Retre (Walker, 75), Sutton (booked, 74); Barbarouses, Supyk (Roa-Conchie, 46)
Referee: Adam Kersey
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