Wellington Phoenix and Brisbane Roar played out their third draw of the campaign in the Hyundai A-League on March 25, with their 2-2 draw at Westpac Stadium a highly entertaining affair, but one played in front of just 4,594 fans, Wellington's lowest home crowd of the season. The tone for this clash was set in the third minute by Matt McKay, who sent a twenty-five yarder sizzling over the crossbar of Wellington goalkeeper Oliver Sail, the fourth custodian the bottom-placed side have employed this season. It was his opposite number who was the busier goalkeeper during the next seven minutes, Jamie Young looking on as Daniel Bowles cleared the danger posed by a Month Patterson's sixth minute cross, then himself grabbing a twenty-five yarder from Matija Ljujic as the much-changed home team - the A-League's refusal to recognise FIFA international windows always impacts on Wellington - stepped up to the plate. Back came Brisbane in the twelfth minute, Thomas Kristensen picking out Brett Holman's darting run down the right with a gem of a pass, which allowed the veteran to beat Sail to the ball and lay it off in one movement. Massimo Maccarone was his target, but Dylan Fox was alive to the danger, and cleared it quickly. Wellington's response was swift, and featured first starter Logan Rogerson, whose progress down the right to the by-line was countered by Bowles' timely tackle. Soon after, Ivan Franjic executed a perfectly timed tackle to thwart the intended passage of Andrija Kaludjerovic, as he threatened off the left flank half-way through the first half. Sail was untroubled by a Holman twenty-yarder soon after, while in the 27th minute Goran Paracki, Nathan Burns and Liberato Cacace all saw shots blocked by the defence after Burns and Rogerson had combined on the right. Ljujic spurned a golden chance to break the deadlock in the 33rd minute, following Patterson's fine work and subsequent cross. But the midfielder's headed attempt was blocked by a defender, while four minutes later Young quickly dashed off his line to prevent Rogerson from latching onto a through ball. Soon after, it was Brisbane's turn to threaten once more, with Jack Hingert's through ball inviting Fahid Ben Khalfallah to get in behind the defence and fire goalwards. Sail turned this effort round the near post, then looked on with relief on the stroke of half-time as Kristensen's thirty yarder flew narrowly over the top of the target. The trend of close calls continued early in the second spell, with Andrew Durante blocking a Maccarone effort, before Burns rattled the side-netting of Brisbane's goal after being played in via Kaludjerovic's deft back-heeled pass. From the resulting goal-kick, the visitors took the lead. Maccarone manoeuvred down the left before checking inside and measuring a cross beyond the far post, where the unmarked figure of Holman was arriving on cue. Without breaking stride, he guided a splendid cushioned volley across the diving figure of Sail and into the top far corner of the net - an exquisite strike! Wellington were still reeling from this blow when Khalfallah picked out Holman with a corner. Again unmarked, the veteran was some twenty yards from goal when he let rip with a thumping volley. Sail plunged to his right to save soundly. The 'keeper got to his feet and launched a counter-attack which paid rich dividends for the home team. Ljujic led the charge, and his sumptuous through ball was tailor-made for either Burns or Kaludjerovic to latch onto. The latter did so, powering past trailing defenders before picking his

spot beyond Young to level the scores. It quickly became clear that more goals were in the pipeline in this match, and on the hour, both goalmouths survived scares. Bowles' timely tackle thwarted Burns, after he had slalomed his way past four opponents, while at the other end seconds later, Cacace's crucial interception prevented Maccarone from playing in Holman. Sail then smothered a twenty yarder from Khalfallah, to which Wellington responded via Ljujic - a crossbar-grazing effort from similar distance. Then in the 64th minute, the home team took the lead via Rogerson, who marked his first start in the competition with his first goal when heading home a 'buffet ball' cross from Burns after the creator had swept past an opponent into the penalty area. Wellington's lead lasted four minutes. Brisbane substitute Henrique saw his shot deflected past the post, and the resulting Eric Bautheac corner was flapped at by Sail, who paid the inevitable price for doing so. Maccarone, lurking on the far post, headed the ball goalwards, only for it to strike Adam Park house on the line. Kristensen was first to react to the rebound, and stabbed home the equaliser from close range - 2-2. Straight from the kick-off, Cacace sent Burns buccaneering to the by-line, from where he delivered a lovely cross to Kaludjerovic, who was not best pleased with himself for guiding his header past the post. Cue a charge from Brisbane, Maccarone heading inches wide upon receipt of Bautheac's free-kick. Eleven minutes from time, a Bautheac corner ricocheted off Ljujic and arced just over the bald pate of Maccarone - had he some hair on his head, he would have made contact with the ball. A grandstand finish was on the cards, with both teams going all out for a winner in the final ten minutes. Parkhouse fired narrowly past the near post after Burns had been crowded out by Brisbane's rearguard. Penalty claims were to the fore at both ends of the ground inside the next five minutes, with referee Daniel Elder turning away claims from Hingert and Kaludjerovic as Cacace and Bowles respectively rode the tightrope when challenging their opponent in the area. In between these denials, the visitors should have scored the winner. Six minutes from time, Maccarone charged through the middle with team-mates either side of him. He played in Khalfallah, who inexplicably dragged his shot well wide of the far post with just Sail to beat. That gave Wellington the chance to clinch all three points, and two minutes from time, they came desperately close to doing so. Burns - his best game since returning to the club, without question - stormed downfield before letting rip from twenty-five yards, only to see Young just make contact with his shot, enough to divert it against the crossbar. The final whistle sounded soon after, the result of this highly entertaining tussle doing neither team any favours, with Wellington still rooted to last spot on the table, while Brisbane remain a point outside the play-off placings with three rounds remaining. Wellington:     Sail; Galloway, Durante, Fox, Cacace; Patterson (Parkhouse, 40), Paracki, Ljujic; Rogerson (Krishna, 73), Burns, Kaludjerovic Brisbane:     Young; Hingert, Pepper, Bowles, Franjic; Kristensen, Holman (Henrique, 62), McKay; Khalfallah, Maccarone, Bautheac (Gameiro, 80) Referee:     Daniel Elder