Goals are guaranteed when the Phoenix and Glory face off, and the latest instalment was no different. Three goals in the opening quarter of the game and a sensational equaliser in the 80th minute, but no winner to be found in the final stages.
If you’d offered me a draw when we were 2-0 down after 20 minutes, I would have taken it no question. After watching the final 15 minutes, I think there’s reason to be slightly discontent to walk away with just a point.
Away wins have been hard to come by, and our form on the road hasn’t been brilliant. That being said, every point is crucial and our overall performances seem to keep improving.
Consistency is key, and we’re seeing it from Ruben Zadkovich’s side.
The starting eleven saw many changes from the 3-1 win against Victory at home. Johnny Koutroumbis moved to full back to cover for the injured Salim Khelifi, opening the door for new signing Jordan Elsey to make his Glory debut.
Jack Clisby’s suspension paved the way for Joseph Forde to fill the void as the left full back, and in midfield Zach Duncan started ahead of Luke Bodnar, whilst Adam Taggart missed the trip after a brace off the bench.
The Glory had to cover some extra mileage on the journey to New Zealand, with the game being played in Palmerston North at the Central Energy Trust Arena. A poor-quality pitch resulted in a game which saw less flair and more directness, with delivery into the box proving crucial in deciding the outcome.
Unexpectedly, it was a centre back who provided the opening assist with a lovely cross into the middle. Tim Payne whipped the ball in as the defence was moving up, not anticipating a cross from that position. Oskar Zawada read the play better than anyone, getting in the right spot to glance the ball into the corner for his seventh goal of the season.
Come the 20th minute, a low ball into the middle was the undoing of the Glory defence. Alex Rufer played a perfectly weighted pass to Lucas Mauragis, running in behind Koutroumbis. Playing it across, Cameron Cook failed to claim it and spilled it in the path of the oncoming Kosta Barbarouses, making no mistake dispatching it past Beevers on the line to double Wellington’s advantage.
This was not Cameron Cook’s finest outing. In his defence, the condition of the pitch was a nightmare for the keepers. A second spill from a similar low cross went unpunished thanks to a block from Darryl Lachman and he dropped a cross late in the first half but was fouled as the ball came down. Second half, he was much more composed, claiming a few crosses and making a good save down low to deny Bozhidar Kraev. Oli Sail had a few mistakes of his own, losing his footing early on and misjudging the bounce of the ball, but didn’t pay for his errors.
Conceding a second goal meant a response was needed, and it came very swiftly and out of the blue after not threatening the Phoenix goal in the opening stages. Koutroumbis managed to get past Mauragis out wide and run into the box. His cross was parried back to him by Sail, bouncing at the perfect height for a header over the keeper and begging for a tap in. David Williams comfortably beat Callan Elliot in the air to nod home and get one back against his former side.
In a game where pretty football wasn’t the order of the day, Keegan Jelacic certainly provided it when others couldn’t. Some great footwork and a nutmeg on Elliot right at the end of the first half created a great chance on the stroke of half time to equalise, but it was a reverse pass in behind the Phoenix defence in the second which changed the game.
David Williams could have been one-on-one if Tim Payne had not brought him down just outside the box. Originally given yellow, the VAR intervened and Payne was eventually shown his marching orders. Honest opinion: I didn’t think it was a clear or obvious goal scoring opportunity and the foul itself was a bit soft. A harsh red card in my book.
Now with 10 men, the Phoenix sat deep in a bid to hold on. For the long period of the time we had a man advantage, we didn’t use it a lot of it well. Lots of the ball movement was side to side and we relied heavily on creating space on the wings in one-on-one situations. Since it was slow for most of the time, Wellington had no troubles staying in their shape and denying good crosses into the box.
Jacob Dowse came off the bench and provided the all-important assist to level the match. On his trusted left foot, he swung the ball into the danger area, close to the goal but not close enough for the keeper to claim. David Williams launched himself at the ball to head it high at the near post, grabbing his second and opening the door for a potential winner.
It wasn’t to be, as the crossbar twice denied what would have been our third. Another Dowse ball into the box, this time clipped in, sat perfectly for Giordano Colli to head back across into the far corner, failing to dip in time. He turned provider in stoppage time as his cross from a corner swung in and found Mark Beevers, who could only hit the woodwork from close range.
Ufuk Talay’s side remains in the top four but they’ll be disappointed not to have held on after going ahead early and having another big refereeing decision go against them. The quality of Zawada is undeniable and Kraev has been an astute pickup. I was impressed with the young full backs Mauragis and Elliot, putting in solid shifts at both ends of the pitch, particularly in defence where they had a lot of work to do in the second half.
A draw is a decent result for us, just the second time we’ve taken points from an away match. The biggest disappointment heading into Saturday’s clash with the Jets is news that Khelifi’s injury looks more serious than first thought and he could be out for an extended period of time. Taggart is looking good to come back in which is a big plus ahead of an important three game home stretch.
It starts with Newcastle Jets, a team who beat us in the dying minutes earlier in the season. They’re coming off a confidence boosting win against the Roar and on their day can beat anyone. Our home record is good against them; it’s a great chance to collect maximum points against a side near us in the table and break into the final’s positions.
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