Kazuki Nagasawa’s first goal in the A-League and Kosta Barbarouses’ 100^th have secured the Wellington Phoenix men their first win of 2025.

Their goals have seen the Phoenix overturn a 1-nil halftime deficit to beat Macarthur FC 2-1 at Campbelltown Sports Stadium in Sydney.

Nagasawa drew the Nix level in the 65^th minute before Barbarouses slotted home a penalty half a dozen minutes later to give Wellington the lead and become just the fourth player to reach the 100 goal milestone in the Isuzu UTE A-League.

The Phoenix held on to claim all three points and move back above Central Coast Mariners into ninth on the competition ladder.

Head coach Giancarlo Italiano was relieved to come away with the first win of the year.

“Happy’s not the word, I’m more satisfied,” Italiano said. “We’ve had a really rough six/seven weeks.

“We dug in. At halftime I just reassured them there was enough opportunity to capitalise in some areas and gave the old famous ‘if we get one, we can get two’.

“I thought we could have hurt them a little bit earlier, but when confidence is at a minimum we’ll take that.”

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 20: Kosta Barbarouses of the Phoenix scores a penalty kick during the round 15 A-League Men match between Macarthur FC and Wellington Phoenix at Campbelltown Stadium, on January 20, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)

Italiano was also “very, very proud” of Barbarouses for scoring his 100^th A-League goal and believes there’s more to come from the club’s 2023-24 player of the season.

“Last year I built around him.

“This season I tried to do the same with just a different dynamic and partnership.

“I think we’ve found it a little bit harder to create. Also, teams are putting a bit more of a focus on Kosta. They’re double teaming him or man-marking him…so he’s finding it harder to make those chances.

“For me the most important thing is getting the ball to him so he can capitalise, and I think we’ll get there.”

Giancarlo Italiano made one change to the side that started the scoreless draw against Sydney FC on Wednesday night with young striker Luke Supyk named to make his first A-League start in place of versatile defender Matt Sheridan, who is sidelined with concussion.

Macarthur settled the quicker of the two sides and had a couple of shots inside the first 12 minutes, but the first was partially blocked and the second was wide of the target.

The Phoenix came closest to opening the scoring in the 14^th minute when Hideki Ishige fizzed a shot from 30-odd metres out narrowly wide of the top right-hand corner of Filip Kurto’s goal.

Moments later Alby Kelly-Heald was the first of the goalkeepers to make a save. He did well to get a hand on to Jed Drew’s shot from the edge of the box and turn it on to his right-hand post.

Macarthur took the lead just seconds later when Drew slipped in behind the Nix back four, cut it back to Jake Hollman at the top of the box and he squeezed his first-time shot past Kelly-Heald.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 20: Sam Sutton of the Phoenix looks on during the round 15 A-League Men match between Macarthur FC and Wellington Phoenix at Campbelltown Stadium, on January 20, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)

Wellington had a good spell of possession after going behind, but a 26^th minute corner was all they had to show for their endeavour.

Supyk got in behind the Macarthur defence 11 minutes out from halftime but centre back Matthew Jurman was able to get across and block the young striker’s shot.

Alby Kelly-Heald made four saves in around 60 seconds soon after to keep the Phoenix in the game. He parried away two shots from Bernardo, denied De Silva with his left foot and then held on to a strike from Oliver Jones.

Barbarouses had a chance to draw the Nix level on the stroke of halftime when the ball dropped to him in the hosts’ penalty area following a free-kick, but the veteran forward was unable to properly get hold of his shot and Kurto was able to make a comfortable save.

Italiano made his first substitution at halftime, bringing Fin Roa Conchie on for Supyk, who had run himself ragged in the first half.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 20: Isaac Hughes of the Phoenix contests a highball during the round 15 A-League Men match between Macarthur FC and Wellington Phoenix at Campbelltown Stadium, on January 20, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)

Kelly-Heald made another good save eight minutes into the second half, turning a shot from De Silva around his left-hand post.

Nagasawa, who played in a more advanced role following Roa Conchie’s introduction, had a good chance soon after when Sam Sutton found him with a cutback on the penalty spot, but the Japanese midfielder skied his effort.

Wellington were starting to threaten more often with Roa Conchie’s shot from the top of the box well-blocked by Macarthur shortly after the hour mark after he too was picked out by Sutton.

Compatriots Hideki Ishige and Kazuki Nagasawa combined to draw the Phoenix level in the 65^th minute. Ishige produced an audacious flick-on to Nagasawa, who rode a challenge from Matthew Jurman and slotted past Kurto for his first goal for the club.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 20: Kazuki Nagasawa of the Phoenix celebrates scoring a goal with team mates during the round 15 A-League Men match between Macarthur FC and Wellington Phoenix at Campbelltown Stadium, on January 20, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)

Six minutes later Wellington took the lead. Filip Kurto fouled Kosta Barbarouses in the penalty area after Roa Conchie played the veteran forward in behind and Barbarouses stepped up to the spot, sending Kurto the wrong way for his 100^th A-League goal.

Macarthur poured numbers forward in search of an equaliser, but the Phoenix defended astutely and denied the hosts any decent chances before stoppage time.

Substitutes Chris Ikonomidis and Walter Scott had Macarthur’s best opportunities in time added on. Ikonomidis headed wide in the second minute of stoppage time and a couple of minutes later Scott headed a corner straight into Alby Kelly-Heald’s chest from just six yards out.

Otherwise Kelly-Heald was untroubled and he was soon celebrating his first win as an A-League goalkeeper.

The Wellington Phoenix will return home tomorrow before quickly turning their attentions to their long-awaited return to Christchurch on Saturday to play reigning champions Central Coast Mariners.

Wellington Phoenix: 30. Alby KELLY-HEALD (gk), 3. Corban PIPER, 4. Scott WOOTTON (c), 7. Kosta BARBAROUSES, 8. Paulo RETRE (41. Nathan WALKER 75^th), 9. Hideki ISHIGE, 15. Isaac HUGHES, 18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD, 19. Sam SUTTON, 23. Luke SUPYK (5. Fin ROA CONCHIE 46^th), 25. Kazuki NAGASAWA.
Unused substitutes: 1. Josh OLUWAYEMI (gk), 29. Luke BROOKE-SMITH, 36. Xuan LOKE, 39. Jayden SMITH, 46. Lachlan CANDY.

Macarthur FC: 12. Filip KURTO (gk), 5. Matthew JURMAN, 8. Jake HOLLMAN, 11. Jed DREW (9. Chris IKONOMIDIS 84^th), 13. Ivan VUJICA, 16. Oliver JONES, 20. Kealey ADAMSON (18. Walter SCOTT 72^nd), 21. BERNARDO (44. Marin JAKOLIS 46^th), 22. Liam ROSE (7. Daniel DE SILVA 10^th), 26. Luke BRATTAN, 98. Valere GERMAIN (c).
Unused substitutes: 30. Alexander ROBINSON (gk), 6. Tomislav USKOK, 23. Frans DELI.

Goals:
8. Jake HOLLMAN (Macarthur FC) – 16^th25. Kazuki NAGASAWA (Wellington Phoenix) – 65^th
7. Kosta BARBAROUSES (Wellington Phoenix) – 71^st pen

Cards:
19. Sam SUTTON (Wellington Phoenix) – yellow – 74^th
4. Scott WOOTTON (Wellington Phoenix) – yellow – 87^th