By Emma Burke 20/3/24
Photo from Wellington Phoenix
Wellington Phoenix 4-0 Adelaide United
It was all Wellington Phoenix all the time at Porirua Park in today’s midweek make-up Round 16 clash, where the Nix kept their finals hopes alive by downing Adelaide United 4-0.
An early mistake from Adelaide’s Nanako Sasaki allowed Macey Fraser the little space she needed to toe the ball into the path of Maraina Speckmaier. The Venezuelan international then, from outside the box, drove the ball into the far right corner with a low shot.
Speckmaier’s only goal for this game now sees her into double digits for scoring this season, and marks her seventh goal in seven games.
Adelaide did well to keep Wellington quiet for the rest of the first half, and looked close to finding an equaliser around the half-hour mark, when Isabel Hodgson took a long-ranged shot on goal, that was on target too, but sent over the bar by Wellington’s Canadian keeper Rylee Foster’s fingertips.
The second half was delayed by a patch of mud forming in the middle of the park by a sprinkler being obstructed by one of the goals used for the kids playing during the break, a situation solved by the groundskeepers, a bucket of dirt, a broom, and a pitchfork.
The Phoenix came out of the changerooms firing on all cylinders, Alyssa Whinham quickly putting the fear (of goals) back into United when she struck the far post so hard it could be heard rattling on the broadcast.
The goals came soon after and in quick succession, Kate Taylor with the second effort on Isabel Cox’s attempt at putting the ball in over her head, and only six minutes later Michaela Robertson found herself on the end of a well-timed cutback by Emma Main.
Wellington were in complete control of the game, up 3-0 by the 70th minute, which led to the pace of the game slowing, but Adelaide just could not find a way into the game.
Matters were only made worse for United, as Wellington found the back of the net a fourth time when Robertson’s cross made its way across the box for Michaela Foster to score on.
This result means that Wellington Phoenix still have a chance at making finals, but will be relying heavily on the results of multiple other clubs to do so.
Wellington Phoenix (4-1-4-1): R. Foster, Davidson, Barry, Jaber, M. Foster, Taylor, Main, Fraser, Whinham, Cox, Speckmaier Substitutes: Breslin, Elliott, Feinberg-Danieli, McMeeken, Robertson
Scorers: Speckmaier 13’, Taylor 59’ Robertson 65’, M. Foster 90+1’
Adelaide United (4-2-3-1): Jenkins, E. Hodgson, Waldus, Tonkin, Tolland, Blake, Sasaki, Mullan, Holmes, Jancevski, I. Hodgson Substitutes: Condon, Grigg, Grove, Morgan, Panagaris
Referee: Mikayla Ryan
impetusfootball.org 