English duo combine in Nix win AT A GLANCE
The Wellington Phoenix kept their unbeaten record at Eden Park going last night, picking up a much-needed 1-0 win over Melbourne City in Auckland.
With the battle for places in the top six becoming awfully congested, it was vital that they shook off last week’s thumping away to Perth as they hosted the A-League’s second-placed side.
Having failed to break City down while hogging the ball in the first half, they got on the board on the counter in the second, David Ball smashing home a cross from Gary Hooper.
The Phoenix’s fourth win in seven matches at Eden Park drew them level on points with fourthplaced Adelaide United, who overtook them on Friday night, but they remain in fifth due to their inferior goalscoring record.
City allowed the Phoenix to settle into a possession-based game with little trouble, opting to sit deep in two compact banks of four, which made them hard to break down.
Perhaps surprised by how easy they had it, the Phoenix contrived to hand City the ball in dangerous areas on several occasions early on – the most danger coming when keeper Stefan Marinovic sent a goal kick straight to Adrian Luna, just outside the area.
The Uruguayan sent the ball straight back into the area, where Jamie Maclaren ran onto it, but he was quickly surrounded and his shot was easily gathered by Marinovic, no harm done.
Ulises Davila produced the one moment of magic for the Phoenix in the first half, playing a delightful chipped ball for Ball to collect, but the Englishman’s poked shot past Tom Glover was cleared by a City defender before it could cross the line.
City midfielder
Nathaniel
Atkinson tested Marinovic with a shot after cutting in from the right, while Craig Noone had a volley that appeared goalbound blocked by Luke DeVere.
On the half-hour mark, the Phoenix looked to have taken the lead, as Reno Piscopo sent in a free kick from the left that took a deflection and sat up for Matti Steinmann to tap in.
The German midfielder will have to wait for his first A-League goal, however, as the video assistant referee intervened and correctly judged him to have been offside.
Heading into the sheds at halftime, the Phoenix had had 65 per cent of possession, but only two shots – Ball’s, and Piscopo’s free kick, which wasn’t really one
Ball 58’) 0-0.
Wellington Phoenix 1 Melbourne City 0. HT:
(David