A rough homecoming for the Wellington Phoenix reserves in the second round of the women’s National League Championship.
The Phoenix reserves have been beaten 5-0 by an impressive Southern United side at Fraser Park in Lower Hutt, eight days after they ran out 4-0 winners on national league debut at Ellerslie AFC.
Last week Ella McCann scored a hat-trick for the reserves. This week they on the receiving end with busy striker Amy Hislop scoring three goals for the southerners.
Phoenix reserves head coach Katie Barrott made five changes to her starting XI, with Mackenzie Barry, Emma Main, Manaia Elliott and Zoe McMeeken returning to first team duty.
Rebekah Trewhitt, Georgie Furnell and Libby McMillan were promoted from the bench, while Alyssa Eglinton and Kyra Elder were brought into make their national league debuts. Eglinton was part of the New Zealand side that won the OFC U-16 Championship in Tahiti earlier this week.
Amy Hislop gave Southern United the lead just five minutes into the match when she reacted quickest to nod a deflected cross past a wrongfooted Charlotte Eagle in the Phoenix reserves goal.
Midfielder Kendrah Smith doubled the southerners’ lead in the 37th minute with a quality long-range strike before Hislop expertly headed home a right wing cross moments later to make it 3-0 at halftime.
Margarida Dias added Southern United’s fourth quarter of an hour into the second half and then Hislop completed her hat-trick and the scoring with a well-taken penalty in the 67th minute.
The visitors cleared their bench in the final 20 minutes, while Barrott too brought on Gigi Freeman, Lila Feasey, Mackenzie Greene and Nova Hill, with Freeman, Feasey and Hill all making their national league debuts.
The Wellington Phoenix reserves will be back in action on Saturday afternoon when they will host defending champions Eastern Suburbs at Fraser Park in Lower Hutt.
Wellington Phoenix reserves: 22. Charlotte EAGLE (gk), 2. Rebekah TREWHITT (27. Lila FEASEY 78th), 4. Marie GREEN (25. Mackenzie GREENE 78th), 9. Ella MCCANN, 12. Ella MCMILLAN (c), 13. Grace BARTLETT, 14. Alyssa EGLINTON (32. Nova HILL 78th), 17. Georgie FURNELL, 24. Libby MCMILLAN, 36. Kyra ELDER (38. Gigi FREEMAN. 57th), 40. Sienna CANDY.
Unused substitutes:, 26. Ellie JOHNSON.
Southern United: 1. Amelia SIMMERS (gk) (16. Lauren PATERSON (gk) 79th), 2. Rose MORTON (c), 3. Hannah MACKAY-WRIGHT, 4. Freya PARTRIDGE-MOORE (14. Madeline MCCORMICK 74th), 5. Toni POWER (17. Samantha WOOLLEY 79th), 7. Abby RANKIN, 8. Kendrah SMITH, 9. Jemma WILSON (6. Tahlia ROOME 32nd), 10. Amy HISLOP (11. Shania MCINTOSH 74th), 12. Marissa PORTEOUS, 13. Margarida DIAS.
Goals:
10. Amy HISLOP (Southern United) – 6th, 38th & 67th pen
8. Kendrah SMITH (Southern United) – 37th
13. Margarida DIAS (Southern United) – 59th
Cards:
13. Grace BARTLETT (Wellington Phoenix reserves) – yellow – 66th
