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09Jan22
City Flattered By Scoreline In Downing Wellington
by Jeremy Ruane
Melbourne City overcame a stern examination from Wellington Phoenix to prevail 4-0 in their Liberty A-League tussle at AAMI Park on 9 January, a result which flattered the home team somewhat, such was the visitors' impressive first half showing in particular.
It was Wellington who enjoyed the better of the opening half-hour of play, despite their lack of creativity. Their efforts severely restricted City's contribution to proceedings, however, although not inside the first six minutes of the match, during which Holly McNamara's twenty yard drive deflected for a corner, which Rhianna Pollicina delivered into the danger zone.
Kate Taylor cleared this off the line, and ten minutes later stopped McNamara in her tracks with a superbly timed tackle, as City counter-attacked after a Chloe Knott corner allowed Zoe McMeeken to beat Melissa Hudson in the air, only to see McNamara clear the ball off the line by the post.
McMeeken, whose best performance in a Wellington shirt to date this was, continued to contribute in an attacking sense in the 23rd minute, her measured cross picking out the unmarked figure of Knott, who, had she known how much space she was in, would surely have brought the ball under control and let fly. Instead, she executed an awkward header which troubled Hudson not one whit.
Knott was in the thick of things again five minutes later. A stray Winonah Heatley pass was pounced on by Alyssa Whinham, who threaded the ball through to Isabel Gomez. Her cross to the near post was intended for Knott, but the covering figure of Emma Checker denied the effervescent striker via a timely clearance.
Somewhat against the run of play, Melbourne opened the scoring in the 29th minute. Kaitlyn Torpey released McNamara down the right, from where she delivered a cross which Taylor headed clear to the edge of the area.
Torpey had continued her run forward following her pass, and the dropping ball sat up perfectly for her to unleash a fiercely struck volley which arrowed between the diving Lily Alfeld and her near post - 1-0 City, a goal which Wellington's captain will not have been happy to concede.
Wellington looked to strike back immediately, Knott holding the ball up well before inviting McMeeken and Whinham to work a one-two down the right. The fullback's teasing cross in behind the defence had Kelli Brown's name written all over it, but the combative attacker, who had conceded more than her fair share of fouls to this point in the match, was prevented from exploiting the opportunity by Torpey's fine tracking run.
The visitors continued to frustrate their hosts, but lost their focus in the last five minutes of the half and paid a heavy price for doing so. After the unmarked figure of Heatley had directed a downward header past the post upon being picked out by Chelsea Blissett's pinpoint corner, a touch of route one unhinged the usually unflappable Mackenzie Barry.
Hudson, for many years an institution twixt the sticks for the Matildas as Melissa Barbieri, sent a raking clearance downfield in the 43rd minute which Barry attempted to head back to Alfeld. Her effort lacked the necessary power, however, and the hitherto anonymous Hannah Wilkinson swooped on the sphere and calmly lifted it over the stranded goalkeeper into the empty net beyond to score against her fellow countrywomen.
2-0 became 3-0 in first half stoppage time - a scoreline Wellington certainly didn't deserve to see on the scoreboard as they headed to the dressing rooms. But they paid the price for not dealing with another Blissett corner, Wilkinson this time flicking the ball on to Heatley, who scrambled the ball home by the far post from close range.
Three minutes into the second half, Rebekah Stott, back and playing well again after recovering from Hodgkin's lymphoma, swooped on a stray Brown pass and sent McNamara storming through the inside right channel.
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Her low drive was turned round the far post by Alfeld, who was relieved to see a lobbed effort from Blissett land on the roof of her net six minutes later after a corner to the far post by the wingback had only been partially cleared by Wellington's defenders.
Back came Wellington, Knott leading the charge. She slipped a pass through to Whinham in the 63rd minute, but she was crowded out by the covering defence, the ball running through to Hudson.
Grace Wisnewski was in hot pursuit, however, forcing the goalkeeper into a hurried clearance which cannoned off the Junior Ferns international. Unfortunately for Wellington, the ball ricocheted past the post - it could just as easily have flown into the net.
Unperturbed, the visitors pressed again, McMeeken combining with freshly introduced substitute Grace Jale, whose pass on the turn sent Ava Pritchard spearing towards the by-line. Her cross-shot flew past the near post, with Knott and Wisnewski anticipating a cross into the goalmouth.
City responded via Stott, who had gone close with a flying twenty-five yard volley in the tenth minute of play. She went closer still in the 66th minute, hitting the crossbar with a dipping twenty-yarder after working a one-two with Pollicina.
Melbourne's Football Ferns duo combined five minutes later, Stott and Wilkinson working a one-two which allowed the former to bring McNamara into play. She played the ball on for Torpey, who directed a tame effort straight at Alfeld.
Wellington responded with another attack, Gomez earning a corner with a deflected drive. Knott delivered a beauty into the danger zone, only for McMeeken's header to be grabbed under the bar by Hudson, who was relieved to see a shot from the fullback skid past the post soon afterwards.
Twelve minutes from time, Melbourne made it 4-0, captain Checker drilling the ball home from six yards after Wilkinson had flicked on Tyla-Jay Vlajnic's corner - another set-piece from which Wellington was found wanting.
They sought a fifth goal soon afterwards, Stott inviting Leah Davidson to lob one over the top for McNamara to chase. She let fly on the volley, only to see Alfeld produce a fine save to her left to divert the ball to safety.
Another goal could have followed two minutes from time, and would have had Barry not been alert to the danger posed by Wilkinson's run to the near post to meet an Isabella Accardo cross after Torpey had released the substitute to the by-line.
To their credit, Wellington maintained their pursuit of a consolation goal right to the end, Jale - despite appearing to be offside - being denied by substitute goalkeeper Coco Majstorovic's awareness of the striker's pursuit of a through ball, while Jale looked to slip in fellow substitute Jordan Jasnos deep in stoppage time, only for Tori Tunmeth to intervene at the right moment from City's perspective.
Their victory kept City on the tail of Sydney FC, who have played a game more than their closest pursuants. Wellington remain in last place, but there's no question that they are making improvements by the game.
A word, too, for debutant referee Caitlin Williams, who should be well pleased with her efforts in her first A-League fixture. She was certainly a marked improvement on the referees Wellington have endured in their most recent matches, that's for sure!
Melbourne: Hudson (Majstorovic, 84); Tunmeth, Checker, Heatley (Karic, 78); Torpey, Davidson, Stott, Blissett (Vlajnic, 62); McNamara (Accardo, 84), Wilkinson, Pollicina
Wellington: Alfeld; McMeeken, Barry (booked, 75), Taylor, Kramer (Martin, 77); Whinham, Gomez (Walker, 77), Wisnewski; Pritchard, Knott (Jasnos, 77), Brown (Jale, 55)
Referee: Caitlin Williams
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