Wellington Phoenix 2-1 Perth Glory
by Ben Gilby (25/11/23).
Above: Chloe Knott, Wellington Phoenix’s match winner. Photo: Wellington Phoenix.
Wellington Phoenix produced a sparkling performance as they came from behind to become the first team defeat A-League Women leaders Perth Glory this season to win the Distance Derby in Auckland.
Paul Temple’s side played some excellent football and used a rapid-paced angled passing game to break through the Perth defence. This, combined with an ability to keep the visitors’ key creators quiet for much of the night, ensured that the Kiwi outfit maintained their outstanding start to the campaign.
Wellington Phoenix welcomed Annalie Longo back into the starting line-up from a long-term injury with Perth fielding a familiar line-up.
Chloe Knott won the first corner in the opening 20 seconds which flew into the far post and caused a bout of head tennis followed by a playground-style scramble that the referee finally brought to a halt with a Perth free-kick. Seconds later, the Nix were pushing once more as Manaia Elliott ran through the right of centre, cut in, and let fly with a rocket that went over the top.
Elliott was at the heart of much of what was good about the hosts in the early stages, combining well with her fellow attackers Mariana Speckmaier and Hope Breslin as Phoenix played some beautiful angled passing to dissect the Glory defence in a high-quality opening to the encounter.
As the game inched past the quarter-hour mark, Glory gradually began to settle, but it was still the Nix who were the stronger of the sides. Yet, as has been one of the key aspects of Perth’s development this season, when chances come, they are put away.
That was the case in the 21st minute as a square ball from Michaela Foster as the Nix played out from the back was picked up by Sofia Sakalis who played through a well-weighted pass to Millie Farrow in the box who directed the ball over the line despite losing her balance.
The goal rocked Wellington in the immediate aftermath, but they would regain their focus. Paul Temple’s side were working hard to nullify the impact of key Perth creator Susan Phonsongkham, with the additional consequence that the dangerous wider attacking threat of the Western Australian side was reduced more than at any previous time this season so far.
With seven minutes left in the opening half, the Nix were on the front foot again. Longo turned and shot, blocked brilliantly on the line by Lowry, it rebounded out to Elliott at a rapid pace giving the youngster no time to prepare and her resulting shot went over the top.
Within seconds of the half-time whistle, Phoenix got free and Breslin got a pacey ball across the six-yard box which couldn’t quite be reached by the diving Speckmaier.
However, within three minutes of the re-start, Wellington were level. Elliott dispossessed Perth’s New Zealand international Liz Anton on the right-hand touchline and played a pass inside for Knott to supply a perfectly angled pass for Hope Breslin to sweep home inside the box.
Phoenix responded by sitting deep in a bid to reduce the space available to Perth’s attackers. Whilst this reduced the percentage of possession that the hosts had during the middle third of the second half, it forced the likes of Hana Lowry and Georgia Cassidy to look for longer-range passes in a bid to free Jale and Farrow. With the traffic heavy, it was a tactic that largely worked for the hosts.
It also allowed the Nix to get players further up the pitch rapidly when they gained possession, and the excellent Elliott looked to benefit when she was able to launch a long-range effort that Perth keeper Morgan Aquino had to push over the top.
Moments later, just after the hour mark, Wellington hit the front. Mackenzie Barry’s high ball into the box from just inside the Perth half was flicked on under pressure by Lowry with Knott heading against the bar, but the rebound fell perfectly for the same player to head home.
Just over 20 minutes before the end, a Nix break along the right saw Knott feed Speckmaier who hit a powerful angled drive across the box that needed Aquino to fly across her goal to ensure it stayed out.
Five minutes later, it was Perth’s turn to come close. Jale played a pass back to Izzy Dalton to hit a powerful drive from the edge of the box that Foster pushed over the top spectacularly.
Despite eight minutes being added on at the end of 90, there was no real opportunity for the Glory to emulate their late heroics of last weekend when they hit back to earn a point at home to Melbourne Victory in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Wellington Phoenix were able to keep the visitors at arm’s length to record an excellent victory and keep their grip on third place on the ladder.
Teams: WELLINGTON PHOENIX (4-3-3): Foster, Davidson, Barry, van der Meer, Foster, Longo, Taylor, Knott, Breslin, Speckmaier, Elliott. Substitutes: Brown, Edwards, Lake, Main, McMeeken.
Scorers: Breslin 48′, Knott 61′.
PERTH GLORY (4-4-2): Aquino, Anton, Cowart, Mihocic, Rigby, Sakalis, Lowry, Cassidy, Phonsongkham, Farrow, Jale. Substitutes: Bailey (GK), Quezada, Dalton, Johnston, Stonehill.
Scorers: Farrow 21′.
Referee: Bec Mackie.
Attendance: 5,532.
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