English forwards give Phoenix narrow win over Melbourne City

Wellington Phoenix proves once again they are very strong while playing in Auckland. The second placed side Melbourne City could not get any point from their clash against the Nix at Eden Park. The likes of Jamie McLaren and Adrián Luna could not break the deadlock, despite they forced Stefan Marinovic to make a couple hard stops.

Phoenix had upfront the dangerous combination of David Ball, Ulises Dávila and Gary Hooper. Together, before the start of the clash, they had an impressive mark of 17 goals scored together – 10 from Dávila, 4 from Hooper and 3 from Ball.

And It was David Ball to have the first real chance of the clash, after controling the ball inside the penalty box and finishing behind the goalkeeper Tom Glover. Unfortuntely for Ball and Phoenix, the touch was not enough to reach the goal before it was cleared off the line by City’s defense.

The goal came in the first half; it could had been the first goal of the season and as a Phoenix player for the German Matti Steinmann. He tapped to the goal after a free kick taken by Reno Piscopo, but the VAR denied all the celebrations and kept the scoreline as the same. Melbourne did not have clear chances to score, but Jamie McClaren finished with danger in the final minutes of the first half after receiving a through ball from Susaeta.

The scoreline at half time could not not separated both sides, but in the second half the English forwards of Wellington Phoenix would combine vey well to score the first and only goal of the clash. Cameron Devlin released Gary Hooper in the right flank, the marksman ran as a winger and fed David Ball in the penalty box, Ball made no mistake by hitting the target and scoring his 4th goal of the season to give the New Zealand-based side the advantage.

Stefan Marinovic made some important stops to award Phoenix a rare clean sheet in the league, only the third so far. Reno Piscopo was subbed by Callum McCowatt due an injury in the second half, despite it did not seem serious, it demans some concern on the OlyRoos member.

The final result of the match was victorious for the Phoenix, getting back to the winning ways after suffering a 4-2 defeat in Perth in the last weekened. Te Atawhai Hudson-Wihongi made his starting debut for Phoenix in his hometown Auckland in place of the suspended Tim Payne. Wihongi was subeed in the second half giving place for Brandon Wilson. Payne is set to retake his starting position in the next match of Phoenix, when they take on Western United in Wellington next Friday.

The New Zealanders continue in the 5th place of the table, but now with the same number of points of Adelaide United losing only in the goal difference the fourth spot.