A sublime stoppage time goal from Manaia Elliott has capped an incredible comeback from the Wellington Phoenix.
The Phoenix have overturned a 2-0 halftime deficit to beat the Newcastle Jets 3-2 and make it four wins in succession at Porirua Park in Wellington.
Elliott, who was a halftime substitute, scored a header early in the second half to spark the Nix’s revival before helping set up Annalie Longo’s equaliser inside an hour.
The Jets held on until the final minute of time added on when Elliott scored an Olimpico, scoring straight from a corner, to seal the three points and move Wellington up to fourth on the Ninja A-League ladder.
Phoenix head coach Paul Temple believed something special was brewing.
“I kind of felt something like that was going to happen,” Temple told media post-match. “A screamer, a wonder goal or something a little bit different.
“We were starting to pepper them on the corners and it’s hard to defend, especially with the wind coming into your face.
“Manaia delivered that perfectly with that curve to use that wind.
“We’ve tried a few different corner takers from that side, because we haven’t really got that natural left-footer.
“Pretty special to score a goal like that on your left foot when you’re right footed.”
Temple has led the praise for Elliott, who was named amongst the substitutes after starting the 2-1 defeat to Adelaide United last Sunday.
“She probably didn’t play her best last week by her own admission and I think it shows a good strength of character for her to come off the bench, play like she did today and score a couple of goals for us.
“Obviously she’s going to grab the headlines for that and rightly so, but I think she’s been playing really well…and last week was probably the exception to the rule.
“I’m really happy with how she’s going. She’s still young and has a lot to give. I think we saw the quality she put into that performance today so I’m happy.”
Paul Temple made two changes to the XI which started last weeks’ defeat in Adelaide with Alyssa Whinham and Mebae Tanaka returning to the side in place of Manaia Elliott and Daisy Brazendale, who moved to the bench.
Whinham wore the captain’s armband in her 50th A-League match.
The Phoenix had the first shot on target inside 60 seconds, with Grace Jale drawing a good save from Danielle Krzyzaniak in Newcastle’s goal, but the Jets snatched the lead soon after.
The Nix were unable to deal with a right wing cross in the third minute and Sheridan Gallagher pounced on a loose ball to score.
Wellington dominated the next 20 minutes, doing everything but score.
Tanaka and Whinham both had shots blocked in the Newcastle penalty area, while Whinham and Maya McCutcheon also had efforts go narrowly over the bar.
Krzyzaniak and Jets defender Natasha Prior combined to somehow keep the Phoenix out midway through the first half. The Jets’ goalkeeper made two stunning saves, the first to tip a McCutcheon thunderbolt from distance onto her bar and then to claw away Olivia Fergusson’s follow up. Prior then produced an incredible goal-line clearance to prevent Tanaka from tapping home at the back post.
The Nix had a few more shots in the next quarter of an hour but none were able to test Danielle Krzyzaniak.
Wellington found themselves two goals down at halftime after Gallagher doubled Newcastle’s lead in the 43rd minute. She slipped in behind the Phoenix back four, drove into the penalty area and slotted past Carolina Vilão.
Temple made a double substitution at the half, bringing on Elliott and Emma Main for Tanaka and Fergusson respectively.
The changes paid off almost immediately with Elliott pulling a goal back for the Nix just five minutes into the second half. She headed home an enticing cross from Longo at the near post after the decorated Football Fern got in behind the Newcastle defence.
The duo combined nine minutes later to draw Wellington level. After being teed up by Main, Elliott blasted a shot from the top of the box that was well-saved, but not held, by Krzyzaniak and Longo was on the spot to tap home from close-range.
The Phoenix looked the more likely to break the deadlock over the final half an hour as they dominated possession and camped themselves in the Jets’ half, while Newcastle were mostly limited to playing on the break.
However most of the Nix efforts were either straight at Krzyzaniak or off target, and former Wellington defender Claudia Cicco also produced a crucial last-ditch block to deny Alyssa Whinham after she found space in the Newcastle penalty area by nutmegging Jets captain Cassidy Davis.
It looked like the Phoenix were going to have to settle for a point with Danielle Krzyzaniak also clawing away a shot from Manaia Elliott in open play as the clock ticked into the eighth minute of stoppage time.
But the Nix were able to earn a corner after Krzyzaniak’s save, setting the stage for Elliott’s heroics.
She delivered in style to see Wellington move back above Adelaide United and into fourth place, at least temporarily.
The Wellington Phoenix will head back across the Tasman next weekend to play Central Coast Mariners next Sunday.
Wellington Phoenix: 39. Carolina VILÃO (gk), 3. Tiana JABER, 4. Mackenzie BARRY, 5. Alivia KELLY (2. Zoe MCMEEKEN 68th), 6. Maya MCCUTCHEON, 7. Grace JALE, 9. Olivia FERGUSSON (20. Emma MAIN 46th), 10. Alyssa WHINHAM, 14. Mebae TANAKA (11. Manaia ELLIOTT 46th), 16. Annalie LONGO (c), 21. Lara WALL.
Unused substitutes: 22. Aimee DANIELI (gk), 15. Daisy BRAZENDALE.
Newcastle Jets: 1. Danielle KRZYZANIAK (gk), 3. Claudia CICCO, 4. Natasha PRIOR, 6. Cassidy DAVIS (c), 8. Emma DUNDAS, 10. Elizabeth COPUS-BROWN, 11. Deven JACKSON (13. Lauren ALLAN 63rd), 17. Sheridan GALLAGHER (39. Alexis COLLINS 59th), 18. Sophia HOBAN (32. Claire ADAMS 86th), 22. Lorena BAUMANN, 25. Lara GOOCH (2. Josie WILSON 86th).
Unused substitutes: 30. Tiahna ROBERTSON (gk).
Goals:
17. Sheridan GALLAGHER (Newcastle Jets) – 3rd & 43rd
11. Manaia ELLIOTT (Wellington Phoenix) – 50th & 90+8
16. Annalie LONGO (Wellington Phoenix) – 59th
Cards:
5. Alivia KELLY (Wellington Phoenix) – yellow – 61st
22. Lorena BAUMANN (Newcastle Jets) – yellow – 90+5
7. Grace JALE (Wellington Phoenix) – yellow – 90+9
