Phoenix away loss to Melbourne ends finals hopes
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
Melbourne City have ended the Wellington Phoenix’s four-match unbeaten run and severely dented the team’s finals hopes.
The reigning champions have beaten the Phoenix 2-0 at AAMI Park in Melbourne with goals in each half.
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The Nix were unfortunate to trail at halftime, with City’s opener coming via a deflection, and weren’t able to find an equaliser before the hosts doubled their lead in the 76th minute.
Phoenix head coach Chris Greenacre felt City deserved the three points.
“I think we huffed and puffed a little bit to be honest,” Greenacre told media post-match.
“We were quite reactive, particularly in the first half. I thought Melbourne were picking up a lot of the second balls better than we did.
“I think we had decent possession in the second half without really making the ‘keeper make a save.
“We had a couple of moments from set pieces where we may have on another day had another couple of goals.
“But all in all I think they were probably the better side today.”
The result drops the Phoenix five points behind sixth-placed City with two rounds remaining, but Greenacre says they’ll keep fighting for a place in the finals.
“As I’ve said from day one while ever it’s mathematically possible, yes we may have to rely on other results now, but we’ll certainly try and do that.
“It is what it is right now. We’ll have to dust ourselves down.
“We’ve got a tough game against Western Sydney Wanderers next week down in Christchurch and we’ll prepared and ready for that.”
Chris Greenacre made one change to the XI which started last Sunday’s 1-0 win over Melbourne Victory with fit-again All Whites fullback Tim Payne returning in place of Matt Sheridan, who was named amongst the substitutes.
City settled the quicker of the two sides and the Phoenix had a slip and an Isaac Hughes block to thank for their goal not coming under threat in the opening 10 minutes.
The Nix grew into the contest. City captain Aziz Behich produced a crucial defensive header to deny Corban Piper at the back post in the 16th minute when Kazuki Nagasawa whipped in a left-wing cross. Tim Payne’s follow up cross from the opposite flank deflected into the arms of the host’s ‘keeper, Patrick Beach.
Wellington won the first corner of the match soon after and Nagasawa’s left-wing delivery ricocheted off a City defender and bounced over the bar. Alex Rufer volleyed over the bar from the resulting corner.
City took the lead in fortuitous fashion in the 27th minute when Behich’s shot from the top of the box deflected off a Phoenix defender and wrongfooted Josh Oluwayemi in the Wellington goal.
Piper came close to drawing the Nix level seven minutes from halftime when he was quickest to react to a bouncing ball on the edge of the host’s penalty area. Unfortunately for him his left-footed effort sliced narrowly wide of goal.
City were lucky not to raise the referee’s ire before the interval. Defender German Ferreyra escaped with making what appeared to be a deliberate handball to deny Piper one-on-one before forward Daniel Arzani avoided a second yellow card for climbing all over Nagasawa.
Behich had the final goalscoring opportunity of the first half but this time there was no deflection and it was a comfortable save for Oluwayemi.
Greenacre made a change at the start of the second half, bringing on Sheridan in place of Payne, who was on restricted minutes.
The Phoenix had a couple of corners and a free kick in the first 10 minutes after halftime but weren’t able to test Beach in City’s goal.
After a stop-start opening to the second half the Nix created an opening shortly after the hour mark when Ifeanyi Eze led a Wellington attack. Eze found Ramy Najjarine, who had his cutback cut out by a City defender when a couple of Phoenix teammates were waiting on the edge of the six yard box. Najjarine struck the side-netting from the resulting corner.
Greenacre made his second substitution soon after, bringing on late week’s match-winner Sander Kartum on in place of Nagasawa.
Luke Brooke-Smith was brought on 10 minutes later in place of Najjarine as the Phoenix searched for a way to unlock the City defence.
Instead it was the hosts who doubled their lead soon after, with Marcus Younis beating Oluwayemi with a classy first-time finish after being slipped through on goal by Andreas Kuen.
Behich ensured there would be no quick response from the Nix, blocking a shot from Kartum at the back post after a long throw found its way to the Norwegian. Bill Tuiloma bounced a header over the bar from the resulting corner.
Greenacre made his final substitutions soon after, bringing on Carlo Armiento and Lukas Kelly-Heald on in place of Paulo Retre and Dan Edwards respectively.
While Wellington threw more numbers forward in search of a way back into the game it left them more exposed at the back and the hosts looked more likely to score next.
City should have scored a third in the 84th minute. Oluwayemi did well to save Max Caputo’s effort before Kelly-Heald cleared Younis’ follow-up, a spectacular overhead kick, off the line.
The Wellington Phoenix will return home tomorrow and quickly turn their attentions to their penultimate round match against Western Sydney Wanderers at Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday.
