Wellington Phoenix 3-1 Adelaide United
by Ben Gilby (25/1/26)
Above: Lucía León gets a shot in ahead of Adelaide United’s Ella Tonkin (white shirt) today. Photo: Ryan Imray for Impetus.
Two goals from Brooke Nunn and one from Mikala Woods ensured that Wellington Phoenix defeated fellow in-form side Adelaide United to hit second spot on the A-League Women ladder.
The Phoenix’s stunning run which has seen them now lose only one of their last six games, earning 13 points in the process, has them now established in second place on the ladder.
In doing so, they ended Adelaide United’s five match unbeaten run, which had seen the South Australian side soar from the bottom reaches of the ladder to the top four.
Wellington Phoenix boss Bev Priestman named new exciting new signing Mackenzie Anthony on the bench and a starting line-up that showed one change from last weekend’s win at Canberra United with Pia Vlok coming in for Emma Main.
Adelaide made three changes from their midweek win at Newcastle Jets, with Erin Healy, Adriana Taranto, Mel Taranto coming in for Emily Condon, Paige Zois, and Isabelle Hodgson.
The Reds were coming into this, their third game in eight days, having travelled from Adelaide to Newcastle, and now Wellington during that period. Despite having the better of the earliest exchanges, in which Victoria Esson had to make a handful of comfortable saves, the visitors would pay the price for that at a raucous Porirua Park.
With a quarter of an hour played, a perfectly weighted long ball from Grace Jale played in Lucía León who darted right of centre to feed a low pass that beat covering defenders Ella Tonkin and Zoe Tolland, allowing Mikala Woods to side-foot home.
Two minutes later, Wellington doubled their lead. Ellie Walker’s through on the right, around 30 yards from goal found Woods, who turned Tonkin on the edge of the box and laid a pass in for Brooke Nunn to sneak in and beat Ilona Melegh at the near post. Adelaide appeals for offside were in vain.
Just before the half-hour mark, the visitors produced a beautiful piece of play as Adriana Taranto danced her way along the left, saw off the challenge of Walker and sent a curling effort just past the far post.
The home side continued to press, and the impressive Woods sent a high cross in to the box that Nunn couldn’t quite reach with 39 minutes played, in the last chance of the half.
Wellington looked to pounce on a defensive error from the visitors six minutes into the second half when Sarah Morgan’s pocket was pinched by Emma Pijnenburg, and the Nix midfielder sent a shot narrowly over the top.
The home side put the icing on the cake with four minutes remaining as they put the pressure on Adelaide playing out from the back once again. This time, Mel Taranto was beaten to the ball by Vlok. The ball then came back out to Daisy Brazendale, positioned right of centre, who in turn found Manaia Elliott outside her. A short pass out found Nunn on the left edge of the box who took a touch, turned, and fired a shot into the bottom right hand corner of the net. A superb goal to end an excellent move.
There was still time for the South Australians to get a goal back. Emilia Makris was released along the left and showed great tenacity against two defenders before the ball was recycled and Emily Hodgson played the ball in that was deflected off of Walker and reached Isabelle Hodgson who lifted into the net from just outside the six-yard box.
Whilst Adelaide United were a tired team after racking up the Air Miles over the last week, there needs to be huge praise heaped on Wellington Phoenix, who played some classy football at times across the game. They had three shots on target and took them all – the sign of a clinical team – something they have not always been previously.
Wellington’s mix of outrageously young talent, guided by some experienced heads on and off the park is reaping rewards.
Speaking to the media after the game, Nix head coach Bev Priestman said: “I’m proud of the group. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs and a lot of bumps along the way this season, and today we were clinical.
“It wasn’t a great performance. In the first half I was frustrated. I thought we were leggy and it was flat. But we were clinical and that is the difference maybe this season…we’ve got to keep pushing forward now.”
Whilst the Phoenix are up to second place on the ladder, Priestman isn’t getting carried away. “I haven’t spoken about the table, obviously I look at it, but I just think we’ve got to worry about us.
“It’s about being the best version of us for the next how many games are left. Because I think the best version of us will make our way where we need to be, I’m sure of that. We have another gear that we can hit now and…be a better version of us than they are of them and it’ll come up on the table.”
Adelaide need to find a way to get back on the horse, as they have shown their true capabilities over the past month, and they are worthy of a top six place.
To see Ryan Imray’s full exclusive photo gallery from this match, visit our Instagram page @ImpetusFootball
Teams: WELLINGTON PHOENIX (3-4-1-2): Esson, Walker, Barry, van der Meer, Nunn, Pijnenburg, Jale, Wall, León, Vlok, Woods. Substitutes: Anthony, Bartlett, Benson, Brazendale, Elliott, Feinberg-Daniel.
Scorers: Woods 15′, Nunn 18′, 86′.
ADELAIDE UNITED (4-3-3): Melegh, E.Hodgson, McNamara, Tonkin, Tolland, Morgan, Healy, M.Taranto, Dawber, Worts, A. Taranto. Substitutes: Condon, I.Hodgson, Jenkins, Makris, Rossi, Zois.
Scorer: I.Hodgson 87′.
Referee: Anna-Maria Keighley.
Attendance: 1,070.
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