Queensland Roar brought an end to Wellington Phoenix's recent purple patch in the Hyundai A-League on 26 October, downing the competition's form team 1-0 at Westpac Stadium on a typically cold, blustery day in New Zealand's capital. Just 6543 fans - Wellington's second lowest home crowd this season - braved the single digit temperatures to watch the visitors take the initiative from the very first whistle in this match, to the extent that Queensland could have been in front after just thirty seconds. Craig Moore and Danny Tiatto combined with Tim Smits, who threaded a pass into Massimo Murdocca's stride as he surged into the penalty area. Checking inside two defenders, the midfielder promptly let fly, only for Mark Paston to parry the ball to safety. Queensland maintained the early pressure, a neat free-kick routine culminating in Charlie Miller's fifth minute drive being blocked to safety by Wellington's defence, which instantly prompted a counter-attack. Jon McKain's incisive through ball - a rare case of a Wellington pass finding a team-mate during the first twenty minutes! - sent Vaughan Coveny careering down the right, and his cross to the near post found Shane Smeltz arriving on cue. The co-leader in the Golden Boot stakes swept his first-time shot just past the upright from close range. Half-way through the first half, referee Peter O'Leary made a couple of errors of judgement which had both teams up in arms each time. The first followed a Leilei Gao free-kick which was delivered to the near post, which Josh McCloughan turned past the upright for a corner. A goal-kick was awarded, as was the case at the other end of the park seconds later when Murdocca's free-kick invited Miller to let fly with a vicious twenty-yarder. Paston tipped the ball over the bar, and the look of bewilderment on the portly Scot's face, as the official balanced the books, suggested that perhaps the referees he encoutered while sporting Glasgow Rangers' colours weren't that bad after all!! Soon afterwards, Smits skied a six-yarder after Matt McKay's cross deflected into his path, while at the other end of the ground, Adam Kwasnik played the ball forward for Smeltz, who wriggled his way between Moore and McCloughan before unleashing a shot on the stretch which Liam Reddy smothered well. Just shy of the half-hour mark, Wellington had strong claims for a penalty when Smeltz, in the process of playing a one-two with Kwasnik, was held back in the area by McCloughan. What the officials don't see, they can't give, however, and play continued. Wellington pressed again, this time via a Gao corner in the 33rd minute. Reddy punched it out to Coveny, who skied his shot from twelve yards. The home team were getting a toe-hold in the contest, but found themselves sliding back down the ladder and having to clamber up it again six minutes before half-time, largely thanks to their own indiscipline. The home team conceded a number of free-kicks throughout the first half, one of which culminated in a twenty-five yard effort from Miller which Paston tipped round the post. The resulting short corner saw McKay fire in a cross to the far post. Charging through the gathered throngs was McCloughan, whose unchallenged downward header bounced past a startled Paston and into the net to open Queensland's account. Wellington were rattled, and the visitors came close to doubling their advantage three minutes later. Miller lashed a long-range free-kick towards the target. It took a deflection, and left Karl Dodd desperately scrambling the ball to safety as Smits looked to turn it home. The home team were a lot more assertive in the second spell, even though they started it with just ten players on the park - substitute Leo Bertos'

entrance to the fray, in place of Kwasnik, was briefly delayed due to a communications breakdown sideline. No damage was done, however, and indeed, Bertos was the catalyst for Wellington's more attack-minded approach, which also saw Gao break free of the shackles which had hampered his first half efforts. Under increasing pressure, the cool head of Moore led his Queensland team-mates through the onslaught unscathed, although they were only just holding on at times. Such as in the 57th minute, when McKain's header grazed the top of the crossbar following a Bertos corner. Two minutes later, Gao was felled right on the edge of the penalty area, only for Bertos' eagerness to take advantage of Queensland's disorder as they organised a defensive wall to back-fire on him - his quickly taken free-kick cannoned off a defender to safety. Queensland came desperately close to doubling their advantage in the 66th minute. Murdocca's delicious angled through ball sent McKay scurrying to the by-line, from where he delivered a virtual invitation to score right across the goalmouth. How Sergio Van Dijk failed to take advantage of it only he will know, but the striker had more pressing matters on his mind inside the next fifteen minutes - he was stretchered off after landing heavily on his lower spine, and was in considerable discomfort from the moment he hit the turf. Wellington, by now, were beginning to run out of ideas. Gao's precocity was still a factor, however, and he managed to find a way past four challengers in the penalty area before crossing to Smeltz. The striker was outnumbered on this occasion. Four minutes from time, Daniel switched play superbly to arguably Wellington's best-performed player on the day, Ben Sigmund. He cleverly evaded the clutches of Andrew Packer before picking out Gao on the far post with a measured cross. The midfielder's bullet-like header was matched by Reddy's fine save, low to his right. After Murdocca's effort had been blocked following Reinaldo's incisive right-wing raid, Bertos squandered a glorious opportunity to level the scores in stoppage time. Wellington were pounding away for a late leveller when a hefty Queensland clearance sent the ball downfield. Paston promptly sent it straight back, and while there were a handful of Wellington players in offside positions, the one he picked out, Bertos, timed his run perfectly to breach the visitors' offside trap, and promptly set sail for goal, Reddy his only obstacle. One on one, a point for Wellington his to claim, the Phoenix flyer sent the ball soaring over the crossbar, an inglorious ending to a gilt-edged chance to level the scores. In the time which remained, Bertos attempted to make amends, and in linking with Gao, he found a way to unhinge Queensland's rearguard once more. The Chinese player's cross to the far post wasn't cleared, which gave Smeltz a half-chance to pinch a point. His spectacular scissors-kick would have earned him "Goal of the Month" honours had it found the net, but like Bertos' effort seconds earlier, the sphere cleared the crossbar, meaning Queensland could begin celebrating their third victory in four games, a result which leaves them in fifth spot, three points and two places clear of the team they conquered in this match. Wellington:     Paston; Sigmund, Dodd, Durante, Lochhead; Gao (booked, 41), Brown (booked, 24), McKain, Kwasnik (Bertos, 46); Smeltz, Coveny (Daniel, 73) Queensland:     Reddy (booked, 90); Mundy, Moore, McCloughan, Packer; Murdocca, Tiatto (booked, 30) (D. Dodd, 57 (booked, 82)), Miller, McKay; Smits (Reinaldo, 62), Van Dijk (booked, 51) (Zullo, 79) Referee:     Peter O'Leary