A record-breaking crowd has carried the Wellington Phoenix women through to another piece of history.
Almost six thousand fans have packed Porirua Park to see the Phoenix become the first New Zealand club to win through to an A-League grand final.
The Nix have beaten Brisbane Roar 2-0 in the second leg of their Ninja A-League semi-final to progress 3-2 on aggregate.
They needed extra time to overturn the first leg deficit.
Makala Woods drew Wellington level on aggregate late in the first half and scored the goal which sent the Phoenix through to the grand final in the 102nd minute.
Phoenix head coach Bev Priestman felt the home support was the difference.
“It was amazing,” Priestman told media post-match. “We all felt it. Coming into the game there was no way we were losing.
“We were making that moment happen. The vision was to make this city stop and make this country stop and we’re not done yet, and that’s the important thing.
“There are young kids in the stand today who fell in love with the game and in five, 10 years’ time they could be on that pitch as well.
“I’m immensely proud of the players and the staff, they’re a big part of what the players did today.”
The Phoenix will meet premiers Melbourne City in the grand final at AAMI Park in Melbourne on Saturday night and Priestman says it’s a proud moment for the entire club.
“This club is doing it properly. You look at the pitch we played on, you look at the fans that turned out and you look at the investment from the ownership group.
“We are very, very privileged and lucky to work for such a club that really does believe in women’s football.
“It’s been a hell of a ride and I wouldn’t do it with anybody else. These lot are a special bunch. But we’re not done yet.
“I’m so happy to be on that plane to Melbourne, if it’s not here.
“Last time we went there we gave a really good account of ourselves and in finals football anything can happen.”
Bev Priestman made one change to the XI which started last Sunday’s first leg with fit-again Football Ferns forward Pia Vlok returning in place of Mackenzie Anthony, who was named amongst the substitutes alongside Zoe Benson who replaced Mikaela Bangalan on the bench.
Brooke Nunn, who was kept quiet in the first leg, was in the thick of action straight from kick off and delivered a cross into the Roar box inside the opening seconds. Unfortunately for Nunn and the Phoenix her ball was too close to Brisbane ‘keeper Chloe Lincoln.
Manaia Elliott earned the Nix their first corner in the 13th minute when she burst into the Roar penalty area. Wellington had back-to-back corners from each side but weren’t able to threaten the Brisbane goal.
Nunn came alive midway through the first half. She beat a couple of defenders with one mazy dribble and shot from distance after shaking off a defender soon after. Nunn’s effort was straight at Lincoln.
Brisbane had their first shot of note shortly before the half hour mark but Daisy Brown dragged it wide of the left-hand post.
Brown had another effort from the edge of the Phoenix penalty area soon after that she shot straight at Victoria Esson. It turned out to be the visitors’ only shot on target of the match.
Roar midfielder Bente Jansen committed a bad challenge on Grace Jale moments later but Jansen escaped with just a warning.
Woods levelled the tie three minutes out from halftime when she got on the end of a great ball from Vlok and then finished past the advancing Lincoln, sending Porirua Park into raptures.
The American came close to putting Wellington in front on aggregate early in the second half. She volleyed narrowly wide of goal after the Roar were unable to properly clear Nunn’s cross into the penalty area.
Brisbane had more of the ball after halftime but weren’t able to threaten Esson’s goal and the Nix were dangerous on the counter-attack.
Priestman made her first substitution midway through the second half bringing on Anthony in place of Lucía León.
Vlok made a lung-busting run from inside her own half with a quarter of an hour remaining but she unfortunately ran out of steam as she made it to the Roar penalty area.
The Roar had a good spell for the next five or so minutes and got in better goalscoring positions but Esson wasn’t called upon to make a save.
It was all the Phoenix for the remainder of the 90.
Elliott took on her defender in the 83rd minute and delivered a ball to the near post that Anthony headed well wide.
Grace Jale dragged a long-range effort wide of the same post soon after following a sustained spell of pressure and moments later Nunn struck the crossbar with a cross-come-shot from out wide.
Woods had a great opportunity to win the tie in the 88th minute when Anthony slipped her through on goal but she sliced her shot wide.
Elliott had a go from distance in the fifth minute of stoppage time but it was straight at Lincoln.
Lincoln ensured the semi-final would go to extra time. She produced a big save to deny Woods one-on-one and the American then sent the follow-up into the left-hand post moments before the fulltime whistle blew.
Woods made no mistake in the 12th minute of extra time. She slotted home from the edge of the box after Brisbane defender Angela Beard was unable to clear a perfectly weighted ball in behind from Nunn.
Priestman brought on some fresh legs to start the second half of extra time with Zoe Benson and Daisy Brazendale replacing Woods and Vlok respectively.
The Phoenix professionally played out the remaining 15 minutes plus stoppage time to secure more history for the club.
Wellington Phoenix: 1. Victoria ESSON (gk), 4. Mackenzie BARRY (c), 5. Ellie WALKER, 7. Grace JALE, 11. Manaia ELLIOTT, 14. Lucía LEÓN (30. Mackenzie ANTHONY 67th), 16. Marisa VAN DER MEER, 23. Brooke NUNN, 24. Pia VLOK (15. Daisy BRAZENDALE 106th), 31. Makala WOODS (27. Zoe BENSON. 106th), 32. Emma PIJNENBURG (8. Macey FRASER 120+1).
Unused substitutes: 22. Aimee DANIELI (gk), 3. Tiana JABER, 21. Lara WALL.
Brisbane Roar: 1. Chloe LINCOLN (gk), 2. Angela BEARD, 3. Daisy BROWN, 4. Kijah STEPHENSON (13. Tameka YALLOP 46th 15. Kiera MEYERS 101st), 5. Aimee MEDWIN, 7. Momo HAYASHI (c) (14. Zara KRUGER 74th), 8. Josie STUDER, 11. Marianna SEIDL, 17. Bente JANSEN (47. Kyla HANSON 106th), 27. Ashlyn MILLER, 32. Alicia WOODS.
Unused substitutes: 12. Tahlia FRANCO (gk), 18. Amali KINSELLA, 22. Ava PIAZZA.
Goals:
31. Makala WOODS (Wellington Phoenix) – 42nd & 102nd
Cards:
8. Josie STUDER (Brisbane Roar) – yellow – 61st
14. Zara KRUGER (Brisbane Roar) – yellow – 111th
1. Victoria ESSON (gk) (Wellington Phoenix) – yellow – 116th
