Ninja A-League Round 19 Match Review

Paul Temple, head coach of Wellington Phoenix, feels as if his team had been robbed.

Sydney FC has achieved the Phoenix 2-1 in Leichhardt Oval in Sydney in every half.

The Sky Blues scored the match winner in the eighth minute, almost a quarter of an hour after the nothing was reduced to 10 players when defender Tiana Jaber received a second yellow card.

“It feels like massive injustice,” said Temple after the match. “We deserve to win the game.

“At least we deserve to come with a point with what we insert into them. It feels like we have really been robbed.

“So much to be proud of what the team did and how we played and how we had to wrestle through different parts of the game.

“And also so much frustration and disappointment about how we dealt with the last five minutes of the game when we are supposed to consolidate our point of view and take it away.

“We just didn't defend ourselves very well when we had 10 players. The structure went a bit out of the window.

“As a team, we really have to grow and learn and understand in these situations that under the circumstances we deserve it would have been a point here, but now we are not going away with anything.”

The defeat leaves the Phoenix eight on the ladder and two points outside the top six with four remaining games.

Temple believes that their final hopes are “in balance”.

“We are certainly not out, but realistically we have to win at least three, probably all four of the last four games, to really put us in a position in which we get in.

“It also depends on what else happens in the league, because there are certainly results that throw things wide open.

“We missed our chance to get to the six tonight, but we are still close and there is no reason why we don't make it yet.

“We have to put the victories together and now have to withdraw to win our home games and see if we can take something on the street in Canberra.”

Paul Temple called the same XI, who started victory against Western Sydney Wanders on Sunday last Sunday. There was a change on the bench, with the fit-and striker Grace Jale returning instead of the diverse midfielder Amelia Abbott. Jaber was named to make it 50^TH A-League appearance.

The Phoenix started and dominated the possession for the opening quarter of an hour.

Rookie Sydney 'keeper Jasmine Black made two impressive parades in the first five minutes to refuse rights and left shots by Manaia Elliott

The goalkeeper of Wellington, Carolina Vilão, only had to use her feet in the opening exchanges. She was quickly from her line in the 14^TH Minute to refuse the Sky Blues her first shot on the goal when striker Mackenzie Hawkesby obtained behind the nothing defense.

Sydney made it more difficult for the Phoenix to get into the last third after the first cooling break and had her first shot in the 28^TH Minute blocked by Alivia Kelly.

The nothing pushed for the break in the last 15 minutes of the first half.

Alyssa Whinham had a shot from the edge of the box, which was well saved by black, and the young goalkeeper hit a threatening cross from Emma Main when Olivia Fergusson settled on her.

In the first half, the Sky Blues took the lead with her first shot on Target, when Madeleine cut Caspers into the box and pushed a shot past Vilão.

The Phoenix tried to create something before the first cooling break of the second half, and Temple reacted with a double substitution and put Zoe McMeeken and Jale instead of Daisy Brazendale and Whinham. It enabled Maya McCutcheon to move into midfield.

The changes had their desired effect, whereby the U -boats brought more energy into the performance of Wellington.

Annalie Longo broke into the Sydney Box in the middle of the second and closed black, but her shot just rolled up the goal.

Jasmine Black made a spectacular fingertip and saved moments later to push a shot from Elliott onto her bar. Main could not think of her follow -up for the goal.

Black saved a regulation in the 70^TH Minute to refuse Fergusson, who crashed into a header after McMeken delivered a threatening cross.

The nothing received her reward five minutes later when Longo drove out of midfield and slipped through a pass to Elliott, who this time struck black.

The Phoenix pushed for the match winner after drawing, but her task was made more difficult when Jaber was sent in the 85^TH Minute after receiving a second yellow card.

Although Wellington went to 10 players, it probably seemed most likely to achieve a second.

McCutcheon closed an almost post corner in the first minute of added time, and Black was good to save a noble turn and shoot from the main moments later.

The young keeper also managed to beat a threatening corner and then track by Longo.

Replacement princess Ibini won it in the eighth minute for Sydney and added when she rolled a shot around Vilão after the Sky Blues caught the 10-player nix during the break.

The Wellington Phoenix will return home tomorrow and quickly turn your attention to the game next Saturday against Central Coast Mariners in Porirua Park.

Wellington Phoenix: 39. Carolina Vilão (GK), 3rd Tiana Jaber, 5. Alivia Kelly, 6. Maya McCutcheon, 9. Olivia Fergusson (19th LIV Ingham 87^TH), 10. Alyssa Whinham (7th Grace Jale 64^TH), 11. Manaia Elliott (14th Mebae Tanaka 83^RD), 15th Daisy Brazendale (2nd Zoe McMeeken 64^TH), 16. Annalie Longo (c), 20. Emma Main, 21. Lara Wall.
Unused substitutes: 13. Brooke Neary (GK).

Sydney FC: 13. Jasmine Black (GK), 4th Tori Tumeth, 6th Shay Hollman, 12. Natalie Tobin (C), 14th Abbey Lemon, 15th Mackenzie Hawkesby, 16. Jordan Thompson, 21. Lucy Johnson (7th Millie Farrow 81^st), 22. Indiana dos Santos, 24th Caley Tallon-Hennic (9th Shea Connors 70^TH), 26. Madeleine Caspers (20th Princess Ibini 81^st).
Unused substitutes: 28. Bethany Mason-Jones (GK), 3. Faye Bryson.

Goals:
26. Madeleine Caspers (Sydney FC) – 45+4
11. Manaia Elliott (Wellington Phoenix) – 75^TH
20. Princess Ibini (Sydney FC) – 90+8

Cards:
3. Tiana Jaber (Wellington Phoenix) – yellow – 56^TH & yellow/red – 85^TH