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16Apr23
Brisbane Fight Back To Hold Wellington
by Jeremy Ruane
Wellington Phoenix's fading hopes of hosting an Isuzu Ute A-League play-off game this season were extinguished completely at Eden Park on April 16, the 8,320 patrons present watching Ufuk Talay's team yet again squander a lead as Brisbane Roar came from behind to hold their Kiwi counterparts to a 2-2 draw.
The visitors were first to strike in a cagey first half, James O'Shea firing an eighth minute penalty where Oli Sail had been standing after Yan Sasse's clumsy foul had given Jez Lofthouse reason aplenty to go to ground and earn a cheap spot-kick against opponents sporting four changes to the line-up which copped a mauling from Melbourne City in their last match.
It took a while for the newcomers to gel, but by the 25th minute, Wellington were firing their first shot in anger, an Oskar Zawada effort which Scott Neville blocked. Six minutes later, Jordan Holmes denied Sam Sutton's long-range effort, but it was a different story ten minutes before half-time.
Having earned his side a penalty early doors, Lofthouse squared the ledger by conceding one, David Ball his victim. Zawada did the necessary from twelve yards, much to the delight of the local faithful, who were relieved to see Henry Hore's effort hit the crossbar in the 39th minute as Brisbane quickly looked to restore their advantage.
Moments before half-time, Sasse twice drew saves from Holmes, the first being turned round the post on receipt of a Costa Barbarouses pass, the second one which the 'keeper could easily have let through his legs as the Brazilian capitalised on Clayton Lewis' precise delivery.
The second spell was a more lively affair, Zawada setting the tone just two minutes after the resumption of play by just failing to get on the end of a delicious inviting low cross from Ball which only needed touching to turn it home.
Six minutes later, Barbarouses combined with Sasse on the left, the latter's acute-angled shot being blocked at his near post by Holmes. The ball ricocheted into the goalmouth, just behind the incoming figure of Zawada, who looked to improvise via an ambitious back-heeled effort.
That proved fruitless, but Wellington didn't have long to wait before their efforts were rewarded - three minutes, in fact. It was a sumptuous goal both in conception and execution, too, with Sasse coming in off the right and working one-twos with both Zawada and Barbarouses to leave him in on goal with just Holmes to beat, a task achieved via a gorgeous curled 56th minute strike into the far corner of the net - 2-1.
Brisbane didn't like being behind on the scoreboard, and set about the task of restoring parity swiftly. Hore sent O'Shea bursting into the penalty area in the 59th minute, from where he unleashed a low, angled drive which Sail turned round the far post, the same upright past which Hore curled a twenty-five yard effort five minutes later.
Wellington responded via another right flank raid before Zawada brought Sasse into play - the Brazilian's off-the-ball run found him ghosting in on the blindside of the defence. His initial shot was
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blocked, while Holmes saved Sasse's follow-up attempt before the ball was scrambled to safety.
Twenty minutes from time, Ball found out the hard way that it would be prudent not to spend a fortune on Lotto tickets this week! Half-time substitute Callan Elliot careered down the right before picking out Zawada with a cross which he headed wide of the target.
Ball retrieved the ball and, from an acute angle, struck a shot across Holmes which struck the inside of both posts but failed to cross the line, with Brisbane captain Tom Aldred scrambling the ball to safety.
Seconds later, Clayton Lewis picked out Zawada with a measured ball which the striker guided into Ball's path. The striker latched onto it and duly lifted the sphere over the approaching figure of Holmes, only to see his effort hit the inside of the far post and bounce to safety - how unlucky can one be!
Sutton thrashed an eighteen-yarder past the post soon afterwards as the home team piled on the pressure in search of a match-clinching goal, while eleven minutes from time, Barbarouses picked out Zawada with a cross which the striker headed goalwards, only for Holmes to grab the ball under the bar, seconds after O'Shea had delivered a buffet ball from the right for which no one in Brisbane's colours had an appetite - it deserved better fate.
Another O'Shea delivery, this time from an 82nd minute corner, stunned the buoyant locals into silence, Scott Neville's glancing header into the far corner of the net forcing the hasty donning of shirts which had been shed by the more attention-seeking section of Wellington's fans who indulge in the cultish practice of "shirts off when we're winning with ten minutes to go".
Wellington's bid to get their Auckland fans shirtless again proved fruitless in the time remaining, Sasse heading a Sutton cross well wide of the target before Ball headed a Sasse corner past the post, and the Brazilian volleyed wildly over the bar with the last kick of the game, after a last-minute Tim Payne free-kick had been cleared to him.
The 2-2 scoreline dashed Wellington's home play-off hopes once and for all, a fixture they would have been assured of long ago had they held onto the advantages they had secured during the course of a number of their matches.
But their inability to retain the lead has been a major flaw in their campaign, and with two games remaining, and the chasing pack - Brisbane included - closing in fast, it may yet cost Talay's men a play-offs spot full stop, not the note on which Wellington's outgoing coach wishes to leave the club.
Wellington: Sail; Payne, Wootton, Boxall (Elliot, 46), Sutton; Sasse, Ugarkovic, Lewis (Rufer, 90), Barbarouses; Ball (booked, 66), Zawada (Kraev, 81)
Brisbane: Holmes; Hingert (booked, 90), Neville (booked, 43), Aldred (booked, 46), Smith (Knowles, 69); Gomulka (booked, 40), O'Shea, Trewin, Hore; Scepovic (Armiento, 85), Lofthouse (Courtney-Perkins, 69)
Referee: Stephen Lucas
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