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27Oct19
Dominant Diego Condemns Wellington To Defeat
by Jeremy Ruane
A dominant display by Diego Castro inspired Perth Glory to their first win of this Hyundai A-League season at a windswept Westpac Stadium on 27 October, the visitors comfortably overcoming Wellington Phoenix 2-1 in front of just 6,054 fans.
The home team began brightly, Juande's vital headed clearances thwarting the danger posed by Ulises Davila's set-piece deliveries early doors. But once Castro started casting his spell, Perth swiftly took charge of proceedings.
Taking charge of the ball after Wellington's cheap concession of it half-way inside their own half, Castro swiftly worked a one-two with Chris Ikonomidis before unleashing an effort which Stefan Marinovic smothered in the eighth minute.
Seconds later, Wellington's goalkeeper punched the ball to safety, Castro having cut in from the left and chanced his arm with a curling effort after Kim Soo Beom made the initial break for Perth, who took the lead in the eleventh minute.
It was a delicious piece of skill by Castro which opened up Wellington's defence on the right, the playmaker deceiving two opponents before whipping in a low cross which was expertly turned home by Bruno Fornaroli via the underside of the crossbar.
Five minutes later, the visitors should have doubled their lead. Castro latched onto a loose ball and sent Ikonomidis dashing down the right. His low cross was missed by Fornaroli but rolled perfectly into the stride of Kim, who picked his spot - top far corner - only to see it brilliantly turned away by Marinovic.
Wellington's 'keeper kept them in the contest again in the 22nd minute, this time brilliantly denying a Fornaroli header after Juande had worked one-twos with Ivan Franjic and Castro before whipping in a wicked cross.
The visitors should have been reduced to ten men three minutes later, after a potential leg-breaking challenge on half-way by Gregory Wuthrich which saw him wrap his legs around David Ball's left peg, the ball having left the scene seconds earlier. Referee Alex King was very lenient in only showing a yellow card, with the Video Assistant Referee opting not to intervene in the circumstances.
After Alex Grant had snuffed out a Jaushua Sotirio raid inspired by Matti Steinmann's through ball, Perth doubled their advantage in the 33rd minute, and it was that man again who inspired the move.
Castro's delightfully weighted ball over the defence allowed Franjic to get to the by-line, from where his cross was deflected to Fornaroli. His shot was blocked, but Ikonomidis latched onto the rebound and drilled the ball home unerringly from ten yards - 2-0.
Wellington looked to get back into the contest soon afterwards, with Ball linking with Callum McCowatt on the left. The youngster worked a one-two with Davila then returned the ball to the Mexican, whose angled shot sizzled across the face of goal and just past the far post in the 37th minute.
Right on half-time, Perth had two chances to score a third goal. Fornaroli's sliced twenty-yarder flying past Marinovic's left-hand post before the striker was foiled by Fenton's desperate defensive work, the fullback launching himself full-length to head the ball off the head of the striker as he looked to guide an Ikonomidis cross into the net by the near post.
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The second spell took a while to get going, but it was Perth who fired the first shot in anger, on the hour. Juande, Grant and Castro combined with Franjic, whose cross picked out Ikonomidis. His shot on the turn was turned away well by Marinovic.
Wellington quickly countered, only for Liam Reddy to dash out of goal and clear his lines as Sotirio looked to latch onto McCowatt's ball forward.
Perth quickly sent the ball back into their host's half of the pitch, where Castro released Ikonomidis through the inside-right channel, the striker standing up stand-in fullback Walter Scott before delivering a poor cross which rebounded to Neil Kilkenny, who dragged an effort across the face of goal.
From this point on, the home team took charge of proceedings, always mindful of the menace Castro offered should Perth spring a counter-attack. But the visitors' attack was backed up by a stout defensive effort, as Wellington quickly discovered.
Sotirio directed a 66th minute header over the bar after Reno Piscopo's cross had been partially cleared to Steven Taylor, who hooked the ball back into the danger zone. Soon after, Reddy smothered a piledriver from Davila after he had initially linked with Ball and Sotirio, whose shot was blocked.
A Kilkenny-led raid culminated in Marinovic turning a Jacob Tratt shot to safety in the 72nd minute, to which Wellington responded via McCowatt, whose twenty-yarder was smothered by Reddy.
Time was against the home team, however, but they kept on plugging away in the hope that a late goal might spark another one in fairly short order. New signing Gary Hooper was introduced to the fray off the bench, and he combined with fellow substitute Ben Waine in the 83rd minute to present Davila with an opening.
Perth's rearguard stood firm, however, but were finally unlocked by the Mexican sixty seconds later, Davila expertly evading three challenges before curling a shot which left Reddy standing. Sadly for Wellington, this twenty yard effort arced a yard over the bar.
The home team continued to press, however, with Fenton's deep 87th minute cross arcing beyond the far post to Waine, who headed the ball down for Ball. His stabbed effort flashed past the near post, much to the despair of the natives, who were decidedly quiet by Wellington's standards, their usual plethora of chants conspicuous by their absence, the bone-chilling wind doubtless a factor in this being the case.
The local faithful did have something to shout about deep in stoppage time, however, as Perth substitute Dino Djulbic climbed all over Hooper in the penalty area. Referee King had no hesitation whatsoever in pointing to the spot, from where Davila despatched a consolation strike for Wellington, who were comfortably accounted for 2-1 by a Perth Glory side which, with Castro in this form, will take some stopping.
Wellington: Marinovic; Fenton, Taylor, De Vere, Scott; Davila, Rufer (booked, 53) (Piscopo, 59), Steinmann, McCowatt (Hooper, 76); Sotirio (Waine, 76), Ball (booked, 54)
Perth: Reddy; Wuthrich (booked, 25), Malik (Djulbic, 89), Grant (booked, 57); Franjic, Juande, Kilkenny, Kim (Tratt, 68); Ikonomidis (K. Popovic, 64), Castro, Fornaroli
Referee: Alex King
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