Lukas Kelly-Heald has sent the Wellington Phoenix through to the last 16 of the Australia Cup.
The academy graduate has scored the decisive spot kick as the Phoenix have beaten Perth Glory 8-7 in a dramatic penalty shootout played in driving rain at the Olympic Stadium in Perth.
The round of 32 tie had finished level at 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra time, which was interrupted for more than half an hour due to lightning.
Kelly-Heald earlier scored his first competitive goal for the club to put the Nix in front at halftime before Socceroos striker Adam Taggart drew the Glory level in the 89th minute to force an additional 15 minutes a side.
Neither team was able to break the deadlock in extra time, sending the tie to penalties. Perth had a chance to win the shootout 5-3 but spurned their fifth spot kick and reserves midfielder Lachlan Candy then converted his to take it to sudden death.
The Glory sent their ninth penalty over the bar, but Kelly-Heald made no mistake of his to seal the win for Wellington and spark wild celebrations.
Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano dedicated the result to reserves head coach Chris Greenacre, who lost a family member during the week.
Italiano was happy with the performance throughout the 120 minutes as well as the result.
“I felt we had a very good, positive first half,” he said post-match. “We were very well balanced in that first 45 and deserved to be in front.
“I felt we were in control of the game, even in the second half…and it was very disappointing to concede right at the end of the 90.
“After the 30 minute delay the attitude and mentality was good when we came on. We were very focussed, and we understood what the game plan was…so I was very happy.
“And then when it got to penalties it’s more about holding nerve and very good character building to win that game.”
Italiano missed Kelly-Heald’s decisive spot kick, but not his maiden goal for the Phoenix.
“I don’t watch penalties so I’ve got to watch the replay and see his finish. I heard there were some good penalties.
“He put in a great stint. There was talk about taking him off in extra time but he just trooped through.
“I think it was great that he scored on the rebound. It’s something that we’ve spoken about as a wingback attacking that back post.”
Giancarlo Italiano named the same XI which started last week’s match against Wrexham AFC. Fit again midfielder Paulo Retre joined fellow first team squad member Luke Supyk on the bench, which was otherwise made up of reserve team players.
Perth had the first opportunity early in the match in the third minute when Nathanael Blair slipped in behind the Phoenix defence, but goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi snuffed out Blair’s chance.
Luke Brooke-Smith produced a perfectly weighted through ball for fellow teenager Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues half a dozen minutes later but Sloane-Rodrigues was unable to beat Oli Sail in the Glory goal.
The Nix took the lead in the 20th minute through Lukas Kelly-Heald, with the left wing back tapping home a rebound from close-range after Sail was unable to deal with Brooke-Smith’s curling effort from the top of the box.
Wellington were the better side either side of the goal with Brooke-Smith and Sloane-Rodrigues a constant threat and drawing two Perth players into the referee’s notebook.
The Glory had the greater share of possession but had little to show for it. Their next best opportunity of the first half came in the 34th when Blair again got in behind the Phoenix defence but once again he couldn’t beat Oluwayemi.
The second half continued how the first finished with Perth dominating possession but the Nix looking the more likely of the two sides to trouble the scoreboard.
Brooke-Smith went on a mazy run in the 57th minute but shot straight at Sail and moments later Sloane-Rodrigues and Brooke-Smith both delivered good balls into the penalty area, but Wellington were unable to find the final touch to test Sail.
Italiano made his first substitution midway through the second half, bringing Supyk on for Brooke-Smith.
Retre entered the match in the 83rd minute in place of Sloane-Rodrigues and the experienced Australian midfielder had a shot deflect over the bar shortly after coming on.
Adam Taggart drew the Glory level half a dozen minutes later with a sharp finish from six yards out. Oluwayemi hadn’t been tested in the second half up until that point.
The Nix went close to winning the match in time added on. Retre blazed over the bar from inside the box after a well-worked free-kick in the fourth minute of stoppage time before Perth scrambled clear inside their penalty area to force the tie to extra time.
A lightning storm started four minutes into the first period of extra time and the match was halted for half an hour.
Both sides had their chances when extra time resumed. Wellington thought they should have been given a penalty at the end of the first half when Trent Ostler appeared to use his hand to block a volley from Phoenix substitute Fergus Gillion.
Taggart spurned an opportunity to win it for the Glory in the 113th minute, when he mishit a cross from Josh Risdon.
The heavens then opened as the shootout started, making it difficult for both the takers and goalkeepers. But the Phoenix held their nerve to secure a memorable win.
Wellington Phoenix: 1. Josh OLUWAYEMI (gk), 5. Fin ROA CONCHIE (42. Fergus GILLION 102nd), 9. Hideki ISHIGE, 15. Isaac HUGHES, 17. Gabriel SLOANE-RODRIGUES (8. Paulo RETRE 83rd), 18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD, 24. Xuan LOKE (46. Lachlan CANDY 120th), 25. Kazuki NAGASAWA (c), 27. Matthew SHERIDAN, 29. Luke BROOKE-SMITH (23. Luke SUPYK 68th), 39. Jayden SMITH.
Unused substitutes: 40. Eamonn MCCARRON (gk), 31. Ryan LEE, 48. Mac MUNRO.
Perth Glory: 1. Oli SAIL (gk), 3. Sam SUTTON, 4. Scott WOOTTON (c) (45. Brian KALTAK 76th), 8. Callum TIMMINS (6. Brandon O’NEILL 106th), 10. Nikola MILEUSNIC, 12. Taras GOMULKA, 14. Nathanael BLAIR (16. Adam BUGARIJA 76th), 17. Arion SULEMANI (22. Adam TAGGART 76th), 19. Josh RISDON, 20. Trent OSTLER (24. Andriano LEBIB 117th), 28. Kaelen MAJEKODUNMI, 31. Joel ANASMO (26. Khoa NGO 46th).
Unused substitutes: 13. Cameron COOK (gk).
Goals:
18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD (Wellington Phoenix) – 20th
22. Adam TAGGART (Perth Glory) – 89th
Cards:
8. Callum TIMMINS (Perth Glory) – yellow – 22nd
19. Josh RISDON (Perth Glory) – yellow – 25th
26. Khoa NGO (Perth Glory) – yellow – 61st
24. Xuan LOKE (Wellington Phoenix) – yellow – 66th
20. Trent OSTLER (Perth Glory) – yellow – 90+3
12. Taras GOMULKA (Perth Glory) – yellow – 112th
