The Wellington Phoenix have ended the AAMI Park hoodoo in style.
The Phoenix have beaten the A-League’s form team, winning 1-0 at Melbourne Victory courtesy of an 89th minute volley from Norwegian attacking midfielder Sander Kartum.
It’s Wellington’s first win at the venue in nine years and three days, ending a 25-match winless run.
Victory were unbeaten in their past seven matches and had only been beaten twice at AAMI Park before today.
And the Nix deserved the three points, having dominated the first half and created the better chances.
Phoenix head coach Chris Greenacre was thrilled with the performance from his side.
“You have to be brave to come here and play,” Greenacre told media post-match. “It’s an intimidating place, the fans are football crazy and it’s really important that you’re really brave.
“I thought in the first half we really put our foot on the ball, we dominated possession and wanted to play how we wanted to play. And that doesn’t happen very often here.
“I think Melbourne came into it in the second half a little bit more…but we created some of the bigger moments within the game.
“Just delighted with the three points. It hasn’t been a happy stomping ground for us.”
Wellington’s third straight win lifts them to seventh on the ladder, just a point off a place in the finals with three rounds remaining.
“We’ve said from word go that while ever it’s mathematically possible we’re going to give everything we can to get into that top six.
“I said to the players before the game with some of the results on Easter weekend that no one is going to do us any favours and it’s down to us to dig in and really put on a show. And I think we did that tonight.
“I’m delighted for the players. They deserve their reward for that.”
Chris Greenacre made one enforced change to the XI which started their 2-1 win over Brisbane Roar prior to the international break with Matt Sheridan coming into the side at right back in place of All Whites fullback Tim Payne, who didn’t travel because of a tight hamstring.
The Phoenix produced one of their best first half performances of the season, dominating possession and goalscoring chances, but ultimately had nothing to show for it at the interval.
Ifeanyi Eze came close to opening the scoring in the eighth minute when he dinked a shot over Victory ‘keeper Jack Warshawsky, but defender Sebastian Esposito came to the home side’s rescue and cleared the effort off the line.
Corban Piper came even closer from the resulting corner, striking the crossbar despite the attentions of Nikos Vergos.
Alex Rufer was next to test Warshawsky, who was called into action when Rufer shot from a tight angle shortly before the half hour mark following the Nix’s fourth corner of the match.
Moments later Wellington threatened from a free-flowing counter attack which finished with Piper being just out of reach of Eze’s left-wing cross.
Bill Tuiloma headed a free kick over the bar in the 41st minute as the Phoenix continued to look the most likely to score.
The Victory had their only meaningful shots of the first half from outside the box soon after with Josh Oluwayemi pushing away a stinging effort from Denis Genreau before holding on to Jordi Valadon’s attempt on goal moments later.
The Nix had arguably their best chance to break the first half deadlock in the fourth minute of time added on when Ramy Najjarine expertly found Piper with a delicate chip and the striker volleyed narrowly wide of the left hand post.
The hosts would have been relieved to have not been behind at the interval.
They had more of the ball in the second half but were continually frustrated by the well-organised and disciplined Wellington defence.
The Phoenix had a good chance little over a minute after the halftime break when Eze pounced on a loose ball and played in Piper, who whipped a dangerous cross to the back post. Unfortunately Najjarine lost his footing and the opportunity was lost.
Approaching the midway stage of the second half Paulo Retre fizzed a shot narrowly wide of the top right hand corner of Victory’s goal after Najjarine had struck the wall from a free kick.
Greenacre had made his first substitution a few minutes earlier, bringing on Lukas Kelly-Heald at left back in place of Dan Edwards. Najjarine was replaced with around 20 minutes remaining, with Kartum coming on in his attacking midfielder role.
Kartum had a couple of opportunities on the counter-attack soon after being introduced but he wasn’t able to find the final pass to unlock the hosts’ defence.
It took until the 77th minute for the Victory to test Oluwayemi with Piscopo shooting straight at the Nix ‘keeper from long-range.
Tuiloma had a gilt-edged chance from a corner in the 83rd minute when he shook off his defender, but he wasn’t able to direct his header on target from six yards out.
It ultimately didn’t prove costly as half a dozen minutes later Kartum volleyed a shot in off the left hand post after Eze delivered a left-wing cross to the Norwegian.
Fellow substitute Luke Brooke-Smith had a chance to seal it in the third minute of time added on when he got the better of, not one but, two Victory defenders. However, he hooked his shot narrowly wide of the post.
The Phoenix were untroubled for the remainder of stoppage time to secure a famous win.
The Wellington Phoenix will return to AAMI Park next Sunday to face eighth-placed Melbourne City in what’s another pivotal match in the race for the finals.
Wellington Phoenix: 1. Josh OLUWAYEMI (gk), 3. Corban PIPER (29. Luke BROOKE-SMITH 84th), 7. Ifeanyi EZE (4. Manjrekar JAMES 90+1), 8. Paulo RETRE (5. Fin ROA CONCHIE 84th), 12. Dan EDWARDS (18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD 61st), 14. Alex RUFER (c), 15. Isaac HUGHES, 20. Ramy NAJJARINE (16. Sander KARTUM 73rd), 25. Kazuki NAGASAWA (11. Carlo ARMIENTO 84th), 27. Matt SHERIDAN, 28. Bill TUILOMA.
Unused substitutes: 30. Alby KELLY-HEALD (gk).
Melbourne Victory: 40. Jack WARSHAWSKY (gk), 8. Jordi VALADON, 9. Nikos VERGOS (44. Charles NDUKA 46th), 10. Denis GENREAU (27. Louis D’ARRIGO 68th), 15. Sebastian ESPOSITO (2. Jason DAVIDSON 22nd), 17. Nishan VELUPILLAY (14. Matthew GRIMALDI 68th), 18. Franco LINO, 21. Roderick MIRANDA (c), 22. Josh RAWLINS, 23. Keegan JELACIC (7. Reno PISCOPO 68th), 64, Juan MATA (11. Clerismario SANTOS 88th).
Unused substitutes: 25. Jack DUNCAN (gk).
Goals:
16. Sander KARTUM (Wellington Phoenix) – 89th
Cards:
10. Denis GENREAU (Melbourne Victory) – yellow – 34th
17. Nishan VELUPILLAY (Melbourne Victory) – yellow – 54th
14. Alex RUFER (Wellington Phoenix) – yellow – 76th
