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28Oct23
Penalty Save Prevents Perth From Sharing Spoils
by Jeremy Ruane
A late penalty save by Alex Paulsen prevented Perth Glory from securing what would have been a deserved share of the spoils at Sky Stadium on October 28, as Wellington Phoenix prevailed 2-1 over their Western Australian rivals in the Isuzu Ute A-League's "distance derby".
6101 fans saw the home team enjoy the better of the opening exchanges, with Johnny Koutroumbis forced to head past his own upright in the third minute to prevent Oskar Zawada from getting on the end of a teasing Tim Payne cross to the far post.
Five minutes later, Mohamed Al-Taay released Payne - he had a great game - down the right to the by-line, from where he pulled the ball back for Bozhidar Kraev. Perth's defence averted the danger, but within a minute found themselves trailing on the scoreboard as a Wellington old boy made a horror error.
Playing the ball out of defence, new Perth goalkeeper Oliver Sail directed a pass straight to Zawada, some twenty-five yards from goal. His former team-mate took great delight in chipping the embarrassed custodian, who understandably copped an earful from the Wellington fans who used to sing his praises, but now delighted in Sail's despair.
Payne came desperately close to doubling Wellington's advantage four minutes later. The combined efforts of Lukas Kelly-Heald and Kraev saw the ball worked out wide to the flying fullback, who scythed inside a defender before curling a shot around Sail but inches past the top far corner of the net.
Only the post prevented the hosts from doubling their advantage in the 25th minute, Kraev rattling the woodwork seconds after Zawada had headed wide on receipt of a Nicholas Pennington cross.
Perth were beginning to show signs of life by now, however, the forced introduction of David Williams - he replaced the injured Luke Ivanovic after just eighteen minutes - adding a zest and zip to the visitors' play which had been conspicuous by its absence in the early stages.
In the 32nd minute, they mounted their first concerted attack, with Koutroumbis and Adam Taggart working a one-two down the right before the fullback saw his cross pawed out by Adam Paulsen to Daniel Bennie. His angled cross picked out Jarrod Carluccio, whose instinctive effort struck the base of the far post.
Wellington survived that scare, and were grateful to the "Goalkeepers' Protection Society" two minutes later, as referee Daniel Elder made a dreadful call in deeming Paulsen had been fouled by Taggart in an aerial duel.
The reality was, the 'keeper made a dreadful hash of dealing with a header across goal following an Oliver Bozanic free-kick, and made the most of Taggart's presence alongside him to avoid embarrassment.
Perth pressed again for an equaliser five minutes before half-time. Giordano Colli sent Taggart to the by-line, from where he pulled the ball back into the stride of Williams. His first-time drive squirmed through the legs of Paulsen and appeared destined to cross the line until Payne stepped in to avert the danger with a goal-line clearance.
The visitors continued to enjoy the upper hand following the resumption of play, but it was Wellington who offered the first goal threat in the second spell. Kelly-Heald and Kraev combined on
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the left, with the fullback's cross from the by-line prevented from reaching Zawada by the alertness of Darryl Lachman.
In the 59th minute, Perth deservedly drew level after yet another cheaply conceded Wellington free-kick. Bozanic delivered the ball from Perth's right, and picked out the head of beanpole defender Mark Beevers, who was virtually unchallenged in heading home from six yards.
Bolstered by the equaliser, Perth pressed on in search of the lead. Eight minutes after their goal, Koutroumbis and half-time substitute Stefan Colakovski worked a one-two, with the latter's low cross zooming through the corridor of uncertainty, just beyond the incoming figure of Williams as he raced in on the far post looking to find the net against one of his former clubs.
Wellington retorted, Kelly-Heald being denied by Sail in the 73rd minute. But the ball was in Perth's net again sixty seconds later, substitute Ben Old's instinctive interception presenting Costa Barbarouses with the ball just inside the visitors' half of the pitch.
Through the inside left channel he stormed, with Kelly-Heald up in support on his left, Zawada through the middle and Kraev racing in beyond him through the inside right channel, giving Wellington a man over on the counter-attack.
Barbarouses opted for Zawada, who was aware of Kraev's presence, and duly presented him with a pass which he rifled first-time between Sail and his near post to give Wellington the advantage once more - 2-1.
Perth were flattened by this setback, as they had been the dominant side for the bulk of the second spell. They nearly conceded a third goal twelve minutes from time, Old and Barbarouses combining neatly on the right, with the latter's dinked cross unable to be turned home by the lunging figure of Kelly-Heald.
Wellington looked to close the game down after this and see things out to full-time, but their hopes of doing so were nearly dashed in the 88th minute. A wayward cross from substitute Trent Ostler summed up Perth's efforts after going behind for a second time, but Kelly-Heald instinctively stretched out an arm as the ball went past him, with the sphere clipping his hand.
There was no intent from the fullback to handle the ball, but the Video Assistant Referee's all-seeing eye deemed that contact with the sphere had been made just inside the penalty area before it went out of play, prompting referee Elder to award a spot kick after viewing the evidence.
Up stepped Taggart to secure what would have been a deserved point for Perth, but Paulsen had other ideas, the 'keeper plunging to his right to turn the striker's penalty round the post and clinch a 2-1 win for Wellington, who find themselves in the upper reaches of the table after the first two rounds of action thanks to this victory.
Wellington: Paulsen; Payne, Surman, Wootton, Kelly-Heald; Barbarouses (booked, 45 (Hughes, 83)), Pennington, Rufer (Old, 70), Kraev; Al-Taay (Gillion, 80), Zawada (booked, 88)
Perth: Sail; Koutroumbis, Lachman, Beevers, Susnjar (booked, 42 (Ostler, 82)); Carluccio (Colakovski, 46 (booked, 47)), Colli, Bozanic (Muir, 82), Bennie (Kamau, 58); Ivanovic (Williams, 18), Taggart
Referee: Daniel Elder
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