The Wellington Phoenix have reinvigorated their Ninja A-League finals hopes.
The Phoenix have come from behind to beat Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 at Porirua Park, courtesy of late goals from Mebae Tanaka and Olivia Fergusson.
It snaps Wellington’s five-game winless run and moves the Nix just a point adrift of the top six.
Phoenix head coach Paul Temple says it’s a massively important result for the team.
“The last two weekends [and] last night’s games they’ve all been going in our favour really and we haven’t been able to capitalise,” Temple told media post-match.
“So, it’s huge for us to get three points because it capitalises on that, cuts the gap to one and of course if it’s that tight it’s anyone’s game.
“The manner of how we won that game today will help the confidence as well so it was just what we needed.”
Temple felt his substitutes were the difference.
“We were talking on the bench about Mebae and how she has x-factor and a bit of quality and it was all about trying to find her a moment.
“Thankfully the ball dropped to her, and it was an incredible hit.
“As soon as that goes in the whole life goes back into the team and then Fergie I thought finished her chance really well.
“It was a good cross from Zoe that came on so the subs made a big impact.
“When we’ve won that’s been the story of the season; the subs come on and make a difference.”
Paul Temple made two changes to the XI which started last Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Adelaide United, with Daisy Brazendale and Manaia Elliott returning to the side in place of Zoe McMeeken and the injured Mackenzie Barry.
The Phoenix started brightly with Olivia Fergusson unleashing the first shot of the match inside 60 seconds. Unfortunately for her and the Nix she pulled it off target.
Manaia Elliott came close to opening the scoring seven minutes later following a free-flowing Nix attack, but she too pulled her shot.
Fergusson also headed an Annalie Longo corner wide of goal before 10 minutes were on the clock.
Despite Wellington’s initial dominance they were unable to test Sham Khamis in Western Sydney’s goal and Phoenix ‘keeper Carolina Vilão made the first save of the match in the 20th minute when she kept out Sienna Saveska’s powerful effort from the top of the box.
Bronte Trew put Wanderers in front a couple of minutes later when she pounced on a mix-up between Vilão and Alivia Kelly to slot home into an empty net.
After a flat period the Nix finished the half with renewed energy.
Emma Main shot over the bar from six yards out after Western Sydney were unable to deal with an Annalie Longo corner in the 29th minute.
Fergusson had three further goalscoring opportunities before halftime. She struck the outside of the post after Alyssa Whinham made a mazy run and picked her out in the six yard box, found the side-netting from a Longo cutback and wasn’t able to bring a threatening Main cross under control and it bounced into Khamis’ arms.
Vilão made a save seven minutes into the second half to keep out a shot from Trew, but otherwise Wellington continued where they left off in the first half.
Moments after Trew’s shot Fergusson headed a left-wing cross from Elliott narrowly wide of the near post.
Sham Khamis made a double save in the 58th minute to keep Wanderers in front. She first denied Whinham and then spectacularly tipped Elliott’s follow-up around her post.
Manaia Elliott had to be replaced soon after, having copped a nasty knock to the head. Tanaka came on for the final half an hour.
She drew the Phoenix level 15 minutes from fulltime, finding the roof of the Western Sydney net with a thunderous effort after Wanderers were unable to properly clear a right-wing corner.
The Nix continued to dominate after Tanaka’s equaliser and finally got the reward for their endeavour in the 86th minute when Fergusson redirected a cross from substitute Zoe McMeeken past Khamis and into the back of the net.
Western Sydney threw numbers forward in the closing stages in the hopes of pinching a point but were unable to trouble Vilão in Wellington’s goal.
The Phoenix lifted the Sister City Cup after the match, keeping hold of the trophy for the fourth straight match.
The Wellington Phoenix will head across the Tasman next week to play Sydney FC on Saturday.
Wellington Phoenix: 39. Carolina VILÃO (gk), 3. Tiana JABER, 5. Alivia KELLY (2. Zoe MCMEEKEN 73rd), 6. Maya MCCUTCHEON, 9. Olivia FERGUSSON, 10. Alyssa WHINHAM (19. Liv INGHAM 74th), 11. Manaia ELLIOTT (14. Mebae TANAKA 61st), 15. Daisy BRAZENDALE, 16. Annalie LONGO (c), 20. Emma MAIN (8. Amelia ABBOTT 89th), 21. Lara WALL.
Unused substitutes: 22. Brooke NEARY (gk).
Western Sydney Wanderers: 20. Sham KHAMIS (gk), 4. Madison MCCOMASKY, 6. Amy CHESSARI, 7. Amy HARRISON (c), 8. Olivia PRICE (13. Talia KAPETANELLIS 87th), 10. Sienna SAVESKA (19. Talia YOUNIS 76th), 11. Danika MATOS, 12. Bronte TREW (25. Holly CASPERS 76th), 14. Ella BUCHANAN, 15. Cushla RUE (5. Amelia BENNETT 67th), 37. Ena HARADA.
Unused substitutes: 31. Keely SEGAVCIC (gk).
Goals:
12. Bronte TREW (Western Sydney Wanderers) – 22nd
14. Mebae TANAKA (Wellington Phoenix) – 75th
9. Olivia FERGUSSON (Wellington Phoenix) – 86th
Cards:
11. Manaia ELLIOTT (Wellington Phoenix) – yellow – 23rd
20. Emma MAIN (Wellington Phoenix) – yellow – 30th
Main image: Cam McIntosh/Photomac.
