The Wellington Phoenix have been left to wonder what might have been following some questionable refereeing in their second annual Waitangi Day fixture.
The Phoenix have been held to a 1-1 draw by Brisbane Roar at Sky Stadium after three contentious decisions went against them in the first half.
The Nix had a goal overturned by the Video Assistant Referee and for the second match in succession were denied two penalties, the second of which appeared to be clear cut when Hideki Ishige was brought down in the Brisbane box.
Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano was reluctant to criticise the officials when he spoke to media post-match.
“I’ve got nothing to say really about the penalty,” Italiano said.
“I think what they’re looking for at that moment is recklessness in the challenge and the only way you establish that is if he swings through with no intention to win the ball. That’s reckless, it’s a pen and I didn’t see that.
“If he had put studs up and hit him, it doesn’t matter where the touch is, that’s a foul anywhere on the park, but it’s very hard to make a case.
“I haven’t seen the footage again but that was my go when I first saw it.”
He was frustrated to only come away with a point.
“Disappointed that we drew. I think we did enough there to win the game. We had some really big chances.
“They had one good chance in the first half and in the second half literally they walked through us to score the goal, which is the most disappointing.
“That was very amateur from us, especially when we base a lot of our game on defensive principles.
“But no excuses. I thought they were pretty decent with the ball. When we had the ball I thought we were quite effective, we just didn’t have enough of it.”
Giancarlo Italiano made one change to the starting XI which started the scoreless draw with Central Coast Mariners in Christchurch with fit-again fullback Lukas Kelly-Heald returning in place of Nathan Walker. All Whites defender Tim Payne was reinstated to the bench after missing the past four matches with a foot injury.
The Roar settled the quicker of the two sides and could have taken the lead inside 60 seconds. A clearance cannoned off Brisbane debutant Nathan Amanatidis and was dipping under the bar before Alby Kelly-Heald intervened to tip it over.
Kelly-Heald made another save a handful of minutes later to keep out a powerful effort from Ben Halloran after Isaac Hughes made a great last-ditch tackle in the Phoenix penalty area to snuff out another early Roar opportunity.
Brisbane should have opened the scoring in the seventh minute but Samuel Klein inexplicably headed over the bar from just a couple yards out.
Kosta Barbarouses had Wellington’s first shot 10 minutes into the match after they won possession with an effective press, but Barbarouses’ left-footed effort was comfortably held by Roar ‘keeper Macklin Freke.
The game had its first flashpoint half a dozen minutes later when Hideki Ishige thought he’d put the Nix in front with a classy first-time finish after being picked out by Corban Piper.
But as the players prepared to kick-off the Video Assistant Referee intervened and after a long review the goal was ruled out with Ishige deemed to be offside by the slimmest of margins.
The next contentious moment came little over half an hour into the match when the Phoenix vociferously appealed for a handball in the Roar box. However, their appeals were waved away by referee Jack Morgan and this time the VAR saw no reason to intervene.
The most controversial call was made on the stroke of halftime when Ishige appeared to be fouled in the Brisbane penalty area. The VAR believed referee Morgan needed to take a second look at the challenge but after a lengthy review he inexplicably decided not to award a penalty and the two sides remained scoreless at halftime.
Barbarouses had an opportunity to break the deadlock four minutes into the second half after Lukas Kelly-Heald picked out the veteran in the Roar box, but his shot was well-blocked by the covering Brisbane defence.
The Nix did open the scoring an hour into the match from an unlikely source, with centre back Isaac Hughes putting Wellington in front with a stooping header from five yards out. It was Hughes’ maiden A-League goal.
Roar captain Jay O’Shea came within inches of drawing his side level shortly after the restart when his speculative effort rattled the right post of the Phoenix goal.
Henry Hore did equalise in the 71st minute with a great solo goal, beating Kelly-Heald in the Nix goal after slipping past a couple of defenders.
Italiano, who made his first substitution in the 66th minute when he brought on Tim Payne in place of Lukas Kelly-Heald, made a further two changes soon after going behind with Nathan Walker and Fin Roa Conchie replacing the tiring pair of Kazuki Nagasawa and Corban Piper.
He made his final substitution in the 89th minute, bringing on reserves midfielder Lachlan Candy for his A-League debut.
Payne returned to his accustomed position at right back when Piper left the field and the All Whites defender gave the Phoenix impetus as they pushed for a match-winner.
He delivered a near inch-perfect right-wing cross with six minutes of normal time remaining, but Barbarouses was unable to supply the finishing touch.
Payne also curled a left-footed shot straight at Freke in the Roar goal in time added on after Matt Sheridan had caused the Brisbane ‘keeper some troubles with a powerful long-range strike in the 90th minute. Freke was only able to parry Sheridan’s shot to the top of the box, but unfortunately for Wellington the loose ball fell to the visitors and they were able to scramble clear.
The Nix weren’t able to threaten the Roar goal again and ultimately had to be content with a share of the spoils.
The Wellington Phoenix are back on the road next week to play Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on Friday night.
Wellington Phoenix: 30. Alby KELLY-HEALD (gk), 3. Corban PIPER (5. Fin ROA CONCHIE 78th), 4. Scott WOOTTON (c), 7. Kosta BARBAROUSES, 8. Paulo RETRE, 9. Hideki ISHIGE (46. Lachlan CANDY 89th), 15. Isaac HUGHES, 18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD (6. Tim PAYNE 66th), 19. Sam SUTTON, 25. Kazuki NAGASAWA (41. Nathan WALKER 78th), 27. Matthew SHERIDAN.
Unused substitutes: 1. Josh OLUWAYEMI (gk), 23. Luke SUPYK, 39. Jayden SMITH.
Brisbane Roar: 1. Macklin FREKE (gk), 8. Walid SHOUR, 10. Florin BERENGUER (43. Adam ZIMARINO 67th), 13. Henry HORE, 15. Hosine BILITY, 17. Nathan AMANATIDIS (18. Jacob BRAZETE 46th), 21. Antonee BURKE-GILROY (19. Jack HINGERT 79th), 24. Samuel KLEIN, 26. Jay O’SHEA (c), 27. Ben HALLORAN (23. Keegan JELACIC 67th), 35. Louis ZABALA (6. Austin LUDWIK 90+5).
Unused substitutes: 29. Matthew ACTON (gk), 7. Rafael STUICK.
Goals:
15. Isaac HUGHES (Wellington Phoenix) – 61st
13. Henry HORE (Brisbane Roar) – 71st
Cards:
15. Hosine BILITY (Brisbane Roar) – yellow – 24th
26. Jay O’SHEA (Brisbane Roar) – yellow – 39th
8. Paulo RETRE (Wellington Phoenix) – yellow – 51st
43. Adam ZIMARINO (Brisbane Roar) – yellow – 90+4
