Phoenix battle Auckland FC & weather for draw
A-League men's leaders Wellington Phoenixhave drawn 0-0 with defending champions Auckland FC, claiming their first point in seven attempts against their fierce rivals.
The unbeaten Phoenix were chasing their first win in their seventh derby, having lost the previous six clashes so far.
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It was the first time Wellington entered the derby ahead of Auckland on the table and Chris Greenacre’s team will head into the international break as league leaders no matter what other results are played out.
The game was delayed an hour because of thunder and lightning, and heavy rain fell acorss Auckland, with water regularly splashing up off the Go Media Stadium turf and making the conditions tough.
Wellington had a great chance to open the scoring in the 13th minute when Kazuki Nagasawa latched onto a good header from Rafael Duran but dragged his shot wide.
Auckland defender Frances de Vries skimmed a dangerous free kick over the bar just after the half-hour mark.
In the 61st minute, Auckland striker Sam Cosgrove, back after a week’s suspension, almost scored after he was brilliantly slipped through by Lachlan Bayliss.
But the Phoenix’s impressive young goalkeeper Henry Gray got the faintest touch on Cosgrove’s shot with his legs to deflect the ball to safety.
Two minutes later, Duran failed to fully connect with a half-volley.
From there Wellington were on the back foot, while the Black Knights went on the attack.
Cosgrove turned a close-range header into the side netting in the 71st minute.
Auckland gun Callan Elliot, who is due to link up with the All Whites on Monday, went down after an off-the-ball tangle with Nagasawa and was forced off with a potential concussion in the 77th minute.
His replacement, Lachlan Brook, was excellent and forced Gray into a terrific save three minutes later.
Rufer fired over the bar in the 87th, but otherwise it was all Auckland, with Gray and the Phoenix defence led by Bill Tuiloma kept on their toes.
Logan Rogerson was almost the hero, sliding in at the back post and toe-poking a wonderful dipping ball from Brook wide in the 90th minute.
After the international break, the Nix who have a three-win, one=-draw record host Macarthur FC while Pedro Moreira’s Auckland with a one-win, two-draw, one loss record play Melbourne Victory.
