Phoenix continue woes by blowing two-goal lead

The Phoenix gave up a two-goal halftime advantage to lose 3-2 to the Melbourne Victory in an entertaining if sometimes shambolic A-League football clash at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium yesterday.

Bottom going in to the match, the Phoenix led 0-2 at halftime after two outstanding Andrija Kaludjerovic headers but the Victory battled back in a gritty second-half performance to seal their second win of the season.

Besart Berisha’s 54th-minute tap-in and an own goal three minutes later off Goran Paracki set up a tense final half-hour which was broken by James Troisi’s 86th minute winner.

The win shunts Melbourne from eighth to sit equal with fifth-placed Perth on 10 points, while the Phoenix remain last on five points.

The visitors looked to have broken an early deadlock after 17 minutes in a move started by former Nix favourite Kosta Barbarouses. His through ball found Berisha for a powerful finish into the top left corner, only for the video assistant referee to rule offside and disallow the goal.

Melbourne’s inability to finish chances was cruelly punished after 29 minutes. Scott Galloway sent in a perfect cross and Kaludjerovic’s powerful header left Victory goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas no chance.

Two minutes later, the 30-year-old Serbian striker doubled the scoreline, this time arcing in a header from the edge of the penalty area off a wellweighted Tom Doyle cross.

Leroy George blew a one-on-one early in the second half but the visitors hauled back a goal in the 54th minute, set up after a strong strike from Barbarouses was parried and fell kindly for Berisha to tap home.

The equaliser came three minutes later from a corner, an own goal ricocheting in off Paracki.

There were still plenty more chances for Melbourne to squander, Berisha’s radar well off in firing high after Troisi’s superb work along the baseline left him with a sitter.

But the Albanian striker redeemed himself with an 86th-minute through ball for Troisi to guide home the winner.