The Wellington Phoenix have been punished for a lacklustre spell in the first half of their Ninja A-League season opener.
The Phoenix have been beaten 4-2 by Western United at Ironbark Fields, west of Melbourne, despite dominating most of the statistical categories over the 90 minutes.
All four of Western’s goals came from the 17th to the 40th minutes of the first 45 after the Nix had scored the opening goal after a quarter of an hour.
“It’s tough to comprehend really what went on in that 20 minute period in the first half,” Phoenix head coach Paul Temple said post-match.
“I thought we started the game really well and we were clearly the team in the ascendancy. We had them pegged back and it was attack after attack really.
“I didn’t think we used that dominance in their box to score goals. We were a bit tentative and didn’t really take those good opportunities when we got in behind them, but we deserved to be one-nil up.
“And then [for Western] to score in that manner, straight from kick-off, has completely taken the wind out of the sails.
“And ultimately if you defend like we did for that 20 minutes, there’s no way you’re going to win games at this level.
“It was very, very out of character for the team and the back three. I’ve seen them defend like warriors for six weeks and it was not what we or they wanted.
“It was sort of mistake after mistake and ultimately cost us the game.”
Temple says there was still “lots to like” about the performance, especially the response in the second half.
“Other teams may have crumbled more and the way that they came out and attacked, went for it, took risks and played some good football.
“We ended up winning the second half but by that stage we’d given ourselves a tough mountain to climb.
“I don’t think there’s any massive systematic changes [that need to be made] or anything. It’s a new system and it’s always going to come with bumps in the road and for 20 minutes it was bad.
“We’ll look it at, we’ll learn from it and we’ll get better.”
Paul Temple named three debutants in his starting XI, with Carolina Vilão, Maya McCutcheon and Mebae Tanaka making their club and A-League bows.
The Wellington Phoenix were the better of the two sides for large parts of a frantic end-to-end first half but found themselves 4-1 down at the break, despite taking the early lead.
The Nix went in front in the 15th minute when Alyssa Whinham won the ball high up the pitch and delivered a dangerous left-footed cross into the six-yard box that Western’s Sasha Grove turned into her own net under pressure from Tanaka.
Whinham’s good work was undone almost immediately when Western captain Chloe Logarzo equalised from the following kick-off when she slipped in behind the Wellington back three and squeezed her second shot underneath Vilão.
The home side then had the lead moments later after the Phoenix lost the ball in midfield and Aimee Medwin slotted home Western’s second.
Manaia Elliott had a couple of opportunities to draw the Nix level soon after but her efforts were unable to trouble United ‘keeper Alyssa Dall’Oste. Emma Main also saw her cross-come-shot land on Dall’Oste’s net.
Western scored their third in the 39th minute when Kahli Johnson tapped home from six yards out and went 4-1 up a minute later after a defensive mix-up between Vilão and Tiana Jaber.
Wellington had two thirds of the first half possession and completed 245 passes to 133 but found themselves three goals behind.
Paul Temple responded by making a triple change, bringing on fullbacks Lara Wall (on debut) and Zoe McMeeken, and midfielder Daisy Brazendale in place of centre backs Tiana Jaber and Mackenzie Barry, and wingback Tanaka. McCutcheon dropped back into the middle of a back four alongside Rebecca Lake.
The substitutions made an impact and the game settled down in the second half and was less open.
The Phoenix pressed for their second goal and got into a number of promising attacking positions, but lacked the end product.
Temple made his final substitution with a quarter of an hour remaining, bringing on young forward Liv Ingham in place of Elliott, who had moved into a more advanced role in the second half.
Wall, playing at left back, earned the Nix the chance to pull a goal back when she was fouled in the Western box in the 81st minute. Emma Main stepped up to the spot and smashed her penalty home off the underside of the crossbar.
Wellington still had time left to set up a dramatic finish, but ultimately were unable to breakdown Western’s resolute defence a third time.
The Wellington Phoenix will make the trip back to the capital tomorrow and will quickly turn their attentions to their home opener against Canberra United at Porirua Park on Sunday week. You can get your tickets for next week’s match here.
Wellington Phoenix: 39. Carolina VILÃO (gk), 3. Tiana JABER (21. Lara WALL 46th), 4. Mackenzie BARRY (15. Daisy BRAZENDALE 46th), 6. Maya MCCUTCHEON, 7. Grace JALE, 10. Alyssa WHINHAM, 11. Manaia ELLIOTT (19. Liv INGHAM 75th), 14. Mebae TANAKA (2. Zoe MCMEEKEN 46th), 16. Annalie LONGO (c), 20. Emma MAIN, 23. Rebecca LAKE.
Unused substitutes: 22. Aimee DANIELI (gk).
Western United: 1. Alyssa DALL’OSTE (gk), 2. Emily ROACH (16. Melissa TARANTO 56th), 5. Aimee MEDWIN (11. Sandra IBARGUEN 56th), 6. Chloe LOGARZO (c), 8. Sasha GROVE, 10. Kahli JOHNSON (24. Julia SARDO 83rd), 18. Grace MAHER, 20. Keiwa HIEDA, 22. Alana CERNE, 28. Isabel DEHAKIZ, 34. Catherine ZIMMERMAN (13. Avaani PRAKASH 90+2).
Unused substitutes: 36. Chloe LINCOLN (gk).
Goals:
8. Sasha GROVE (Western United) – 15th og
6. Chloe LOGARZO (Western United) – 17th & 40th
5. Aimee MEDWIN (Western United) – 19th
10. Kahli JOHNSON (Western United) – 39th
20. Emma MAIN (Wellington Phoenix) – 82nd pen
Cards:
19. Liv INGHAM (Wellington Phoenix) – yellow – 84th
