Maya McCutcheon has inspired the Wellington Phoenix to their first win of the 2024-25 Ninja A-League.
The American midfielder has scored her first A-League goal secure the Phoenix a 1-0 win over Adelaide United in their Unite Round match at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium in Sydney.
McCutcheon found the back of the net in the third minute of first half stoppage time and the Nix defended resolutely in the second half to secure all three points.
“I feel amazing,” she told media post-match. “This is actually my first professional goal too so it’s a really surreal moment and I’m just so happy we had fans here to celebrate with.
“As soon as we scored I was like ‘guys, we’re going. Let’s go to the fans’ and I’m so happy we did.”
McCutcheon was presented with the player of the match award by the Little Corner of Yellow for the second time in her maiden A-League season.
“It makes me so happy. I’ve never played in front of fans like that.
“Just to know there are people supporting us even on the road it makes us want to play that much harder.”
Phoenix head coach Paul Temple conceded “it’s a little bit of a relief” to have claimed their first win of the season.
“We’ve had a couple of really good performances in the first couple of games that probably warranted some points so…I’m very pleased,” Temple told media post-match.
“We really needed that tonight. I was pleased with the first half. I thought we played really well and deserved to be in the lead and then the second half was just about grit, determination, character and digging in.
“We kept a team that’s been scoring lots of goals to a clean sheet so I’m really happy.
“And it’s pretty well-documented last season travelling on the road wasn’t our strongest so to get a win on the road in Australia is really big for us and it will help us massively with confidence.
Paul Temple made four changes to the XI which started Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Newcastle Jets, with Olivia Fergusson, Mebae Tanaka, Olivia Ingham and Lara Wall replacing Emma Main, Annalie Longo, Grace Jale and Manaia Elliott.
Main, Jale and Elliott were named amongst the substitutes, while Longo was unable to recover from the nasty blow to her eye in time to play. New Zealand U-17 goalkeeper Brooke Neary flew in from Sydney on Friday morning to be included on the bench in place of Aimee Danieli, who suffered a concussion at training on Thursday.
Ingham had the first shot little over 60 seconds into the match, but Adelaide were able to get in the way of her effort and force a corner.
Fergusson also had an opportunity a quarter of an hour later but she sliced her shot narrowly wide of the post.
The English forward had a better chance soon after but she was unable to apply the finishing touch to Mebae Tanaka’s right-wing cross.
Reds centre back Matilda McNamara also snuffed out an opportunity for Fergusson shortly before the half hour mark.
Moments later Adelaide goalkeeper Claudia Jenkins made a stunning reaction save to force a shot from Alyssa Whinham over the bar.
The Reds had their best passage of the first half five minutes before the break and Fiona Worts come closest to breaking the deadlock with a shot narrowly over the bar.
Maya McCutcheon responded to Adelaide’s near miss by trying to end the stalemate herself. She blazed a shot narrowly wide from well outside the box and then forced a smart save from Jenkins after the Phoenix won possession on the edge of the Reds’ penalty area.
McCutcheon finally gave the Phoenix for the reward for their dominance with the last touch of the first half, nodding home from close-range after a Tanaka free-kick created havoc in Adelaide’s box.
The Reds started the second half the better of the two sides but were unable to test Carolina Vilão in Wellington’s goal. Stand-in captain Mackenzie Barry and centre back partner Tiana Jaber also did well to clean up at the back when required.
Paul Temple made a triple change shortly after the hour mark with Main, Elliott and Jale replacing Fergusson, Tanaka and Ingham.
Main was one-on-one with Adelaide’s ‘keeper soon after but Jenkins was up to the task and foiled the Phoenix substitute.
Temple made his final change with less than a quarter of an hour remaining, bringing on Ella McMillan in place of Whinham.
The Reds continued to have more of the ball, but were unable to trouble the Nix and Wellington had fresh legs when they were able to break.
Elliott had a chance on the counter in the 80th minute and she unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the area, but it was straight into Jenkins’ arms.
The Phoenix switched to a back five for the closing stages with McCutcheon dropping into defence and they continued to frustrate Adelaide for the remainder of the 90 and eight minutes of stoppage time to seal their maiden win of the season.
The Wellington Phoenix will fly home tomorrow and will have a fortnight to prepare for their next match against the Brisbane Roar at Porirua Park as the Ninja A-League pauses for international football next week.
Wellington Phoenix: 39. Carolina VILÃO (gk), 2. Zoe MCMEEKEN, 3. Tiana JABER, 4. Mackenzie BARRY, 6. Maya MCCUTCHEON, 9. Olivia FERGUSSON (20. Emma MAIN 64th), 10. Alyssa WHINHAM (12. Ella MCMILLAN 77th), 14. Mebae TANAKA (11. Manaia ELLIOTT 64th), 15. Daisy BRAZENDALE, 19. Olivia INGHAM (7. Grace JALE 64th), 21. Lara WALL
Unused substitutes: 13. Brooke NEARY (gk).
Adelaide United: 21. Claudia JENKINS (gk), 2. Emily HODGSON, 4. Matilda MCNAMARA, 3. Sarah MORGAN, 8. Emily CONDOON (3. Meleri MULLAN 74th), 13. Ella TONKIN (c), 14. Lucia LEON (20. Miley GRIGG 74th), 17. Zoe TOLLAND (19. Katie BOWLER 82nd), 22. Erin HEALY, 23. Fiona WORTS, 27. Sian DEWEY (6. Tiarna KARAMBASIS 60th).
Unused substitutes: 1. Annalee GROVE (gk).
Goals:
6. Maya MCCUTCHEON (Wellington Phoenix) – 45+3
Cards:
2. Emily HODGSON (Adelaide United) – yellow – 45+2
13. Ella TONKIN (Adelaide United) – yellow – 90+5
