Wellington Phoenix 2-0 Perth Glory
by Ben Gilby (4/1/25).
Above: Grace Jale (second left) celebrates her goal that gave Wellington Phoenix the lead today. Photo: Wellington Phoenix.
Wellington Phoenix continued their push for a maiden place in the Finals with a tactically astute win over Perth Glory at Porirua Park today.
Goals from Grace Jale and Olivia Fergusson secured the Phoenix’s fourth win in nine games this season, and the honours in the ‘Distance Derby’ between the two clubs located the furthest apart in world domestic club football at over 5,200 km.
Whilst Paul Temple’s side were not really spoken about in the discussion for the Top Six shake-up ahead of the season, they are now coming in under the radar. Their mix of hugely talented youngsters and those who have been part of the Nix’s A-League Women journey from the start, are revelling under the Temple’s guidance.
Temple made two changes to his starting lineup, bringing in Mebae Tanaka and Zoe McMeeken for Alivia Kelly and Daisy Brazendale. His Perth counterpart Stephen Peters did the same, with Izzy Foletta coming in at right back and Miku Sunaga starting up front. Nat Tathem additionally moved up into midfield from the backline. Co-captain Izzy Dalton and attacker Tanika Lala dropped down to the bench, where locally produced striker Ella Lincoln came in for the first time along with Claudia Valletta .
Phoenix were fastest out of the blocks and conjured up the game’s first opportunity with three minutes played. Lara Wall, who has stepped up impressively from New Zealand’s domestic women’s competition with Cashmere Technical, made ground up the left and played in a high cross to the back post which caught the strong breeze for Tanaka whose shot was blocked by Grace Johnston.
The home side were playing it smart, using their knowledge of the conditions at Porirua Park to loft passes through along with consistently dangerous curling set pieces from Annalie Longo which kept the Glory on the back foot.
Whilst Perth began to even up the possession share, Nix were working hard to stop them from making much progress in an attacking sense. They had their focus on the Glory’s key midfield creators, denying them time on the ball. Whilst the visitors earned a number of corners with the advantage of the wind, they were largely denied any sustained forward momentum by these Wellington tactics.
The hosts were continuing to experience joy along the left. With 23 minutes gone, Longo drove along the flank to send in a teasing ball for Tunaka to head goalwards, but Casey Dumont in the Perth goal made the save comfortably.
Longo was producing a stand-out performance, looking for channels to dart into, this time on the right as she again linked up with Tanaka for Olivia Fergusson to send a shot narrowly wide of the right-hand post.
Perth ended the half on a high with Wynne teaming up with Sunaga along the left. It remained goalless at the break.
However, with less than two minutes of the second period played, Wellington struck. Goalkeeper Carolina Vilão’s clearance kick bounced over Foletta and into the path of Grace Jale. The former Perth player controlled the ball instantly and danced away from the attentions of her defender to crash home a low shot from around 25 yards, slightly to the left of centre, bouncing just in front of Dumont and in.
It was a particularly sweet moment for Jale, who never quite found her best form in a Perth shirt last season.
Moments later, Glory attacker Gabby Hollar was forced from the pitch with what initially looked to be blood coming from her nose. With Sarah O’Donoghue and Kelli Brown also missing long-term from the team’s striking stocks, this was the last thing head coach Peters would have wanted.
With 21 minutes remaining, things got worse still for the visitors. Wall was played in along the left and had space to advance before floating a ball into the box for Fergusson. The attacker got up highest around the penalty shot to get her head onto the ball which bounced down and in near the left-hand post.
Perth responded by bringing on Valletta and Lincoln for their first A-League Women appearances for the club. The Glory then came close twice in quick succession with five minutes remaining. Lala burst through and saw her shot repelled by Vilão, only for the ball to fall into the path of Sunaga who hit a powerful shot from 20 yards against the bar.
That was largely it as the home side ran out comfortable winners. Wellington will aim to cement their top six ambitions over the next eight days, with trips to both Western Sydney Wanderers and Adelaide United.
Perth host Sydney FC on Friday night which now looms large as a vital game between two sides who are lower down the ladder than they would like to be.
Teams: WELLINGTON PHOENIX (4-3-3): Vilão, McMeeken, Jaber, Barry, Wall, Whinham, McCutcheon, Longo, Tanaka, Fergusson, Jale. Substitutes: Danieli (GK), Kelly, Elliott, Brazendale, Main.
Scorers: Jale 47′, Fergusson 69′.
PERTH GLORY (4-3-3): Dumont, Foletta, Zogg, Chinnama, Johnston, Wainwright, Cassidy, Tathem, Wynne, Hollar, Sunaka. Substitutes: Templeman (GK), Valletta, Dalton, Lincoln, Lala.
Referee: Mikayla Ryan.
Attendance: 675.
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