The Wellington Phoenix have claimed three vital points at home, bouncing back from successive defeats in the capital.
The Phoenix have beaten inform Adelaide United 2-1 at Sky Stadium in Wellington, thanks to goals from captain Alex Rufer and new attacking midfielder Ramy Najjarine early in each half.
The win, at least momentarily, moved the Nix back into the top six ahead of next week’s New Zealand derby.
Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano says it was an important result.
“This goes a long way for us to build belief within the playing group,” Italiano told media post-match.
“I said this a while back; this is probably the closest-knit group I’ve coached as a head coach.
“This win cements a pillar that they can build on.”
Italiano also paid tribute to the small but vocal crowd at Sky Stadium.
“At the end of the day, fans are fans, they’re the lifeblood of the club. If they stop coming to the game, they feel like training games.
“Today I actually felt the crowd, it was nice. Even though it was small numbers, I felt the active support was good.
“Every time we did something positive, on the front foot, they were cheering us, that energy is what got us through the match.
“Even at the end there, where we maybe got off script, they still rode every challenge and it was a good thing.”
Giancarlo Italiano made one change to the XI which started last week’s 1-0 defeat to Macarthur FC, with Dan Edwards named to make his first professional start in place of Fin Roa Conchie. Edwards started at left wing back allowing Carlo Armiento to move into one of the attacking midfield roles behind Ifeanyi Eze. Luke Brooke-Smith and Alby Kelly-Heald were promoted to the bench with Kelly-Heald included amongst the substitutes for the first time since the shoulder injury which cut short his breakout season.
Italiano got the fast start he was after, and Edwards was at the heart of it. He drew a sharp save from Joshua Smits in Adelaide’s goal in the seventh minute after the Reds only partially cleared Armiento’s initial cutback. Rufer shot over the bar from the resulting corner.
Matt Sheridan and Manjrekar James directed headers off and on target soon after from an Ifeanyi Eze cross and an Armiento free-kick respectively.
Moments after James’ header was saved, Edwards won the Nix a left-wing corner. Kazuki Nagasawa delivered the corner to the back post where Rufer slotted it home to give Wellington a deserved lead.
The Phoenix crafted another goalscoring opportunity just a couple of minutes later down their right flank. It finished with Armiento shooting on the turn on the edge of the six yard box but it was well blocked by the Reds.
Eze headed a right-wing cross wide soon after and he had a better chance shortly after the half hour mark. The Nigerian striker got in behind the Adelaide defence, cut inside a couple of defenders but then fell as he shot and it skied over the bar.
The Reds finished the half the better of the two sides, but some timely interventions from Lukas Kelly-Heald, Rufer and James ensured Josh Oluwayemi was untested in goal before halftime.
The Nix came close to doubling their lead just seconds into the second half with Smits at full-stretch to keep our a powerful curling shot that Armiento struck from the edge of the box.
Najjarine had a longer-range effort of his own soon after, but this time Smits was able to keep hold of it.
Armiento and Najjarine had another couple of efforts from distance that were off target before the duo combined to give Wellington a two goal advantage.
Armiento won a penalty, drawing a foul from Adelaide centre back Bart Vriends and then Najjarine send Smits the wrong way from the spot, tucking his shot inside the right-hand post.
The Reds thought they had earned a penalty of their own in the 58th minute when referee Daniel Elder pointed to the spot after he deemed Kelly-Heald to have fouled Yaya Dukuly in the Wellington box.
But after the incident was replayed on the big screen the the Video Assistant Referee summoned Elder to take another look. He overturned his decision and gave Dukuly a yellow card for simulation.
Italiano made his first substitution shortly after the hour mark, bringing on Roa Conchie in place of starting debutant Edwards.
Roa Conchie was millimetres away from making an instant impact and toeing home an enticing right-wing cross from Nagasawa.
Armiento had another thunderous long-range shot in the 70th minute after being given space by the Reds from a right-wing free-kick. Smits again managed to bat away Armiento’s effort and the Phoenix were unable to capitalise on the follow up.
Four minutes later the Reds pulled a goal back with substitute Joey Garuccio beating the offside trap and slotting past an on-rushing Oluwayemi, who up to this point hadn’t been called upon to make a save.
Garuccio at been on the pitch for just a matter of seconds as Adelaide made a triple sub at the same time Italiano brought on Corban Piper and Xuan Loke for Najjarine and Armiento.
Piper forced another good save from Smits in the 79th minute. With the Dutchman again showing his athleticism to keep out a header from the Nix forward.
Oluwayemi made a sharp save of his own seven minutes later to keep out a volley from Dukuly.
It was the closest Adelaide came to scoring an equaliser, with Wellington holding on to secure an all-important three points.
The Wellington Phoenix have little time to celebrate as they’ll be back in action against Auckland FC in Auckland next Saturday.
Wellington Phoenix: 1. Josh OLUWAYEMI (gk), 4. Manjrekar JAMES, 7. Ifeanyi EZE (37. Anaru CASSIDY 80th), 11. Carlo ARMIENTO (24. Xuan LOKE 72nd), 12. Dan EDWARDS (5. Fin ROA CONCHIE 62nd), 14. Alex RUFER (c), 15. Isaac HUGHES, 18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD, 20. Ramy NAJJARINE (3. Corban PIPER 72nd), 25. Kazuki NAGASAWA, 27. Matthew SHERIDAN.
Unused substitutes: 30. Alby KELLY-HEALD (gk), 23. Luke SUPYK, 29. Luke BROOKE-SMITH.
Adelaide United: 22. Joshua SMITS (gk), 3. Bart VRIENDS, 4. Panagiotis KIKIANIS, 9. Luka JOVANOVIC, 11. Craig GOODWIN (c) (44. Ryan WHITE 72nd), 12. Jonny YULL (68. Joey GARUCCIO 72nd), 19. Yaya DUKULY, 23. Luke DUZEL (42. Austin AYOUBI 72nd), 36. Panashe MADANHA (58. Harry CRAWFORD 82nd), 55. Ethan ALAGICH, 62. Fabian TALLADIRA.
Unused substitutes: 40. Ethan COX (gk), 14. Jay BARNETT, 71. Vinko STANISIC.
Goals:
14. Alex RUFER (Wellington Phoenix) – 13th
20. Ramy NAJJARINE (Wellington Phoenix) – 52nd pen
68. Joey GARUCCIO (Adelaide United) – 74th
Cards:
11. Carlo ARMIENTO (Wellington Phoenix) – yellow – 41st
19. Yaya DUKULY (Adelaide United) – yellow – 60th
Main image: Shirts off for the Yellow Fever. Photo: Cam McIntosh/Photomac.
