Phoenix shares 2nd
WELLINGTON: Western United's inaugural ALeague campaign has descended to a new low following a 20 loss to Wellington that sent the Phoenix soaring to a share of second place.
Liberato Cacace and David Ball scored the goals yesterday in a contest spoiled by wet, blustery conditions, the outcome keeping the two teams heading in opposite directions.
A fifth straight home win for Wellington lifts it level on points with secondplaced Melbourne City while the visiting side is still beached in seventh place and in danger of losing touch with the top six.
Mark Rudan's team has won once in its past eight games and it never looked like emerging from that slump against a Phoenix team which completely dominated the first half and did enough in a more even second spell.
Wellington rattled off 14 shots to two before halftime, setting the scene inside the first minute when Ulises Davila struck the inside of the upright with a curling shot.
Former Phoenix goalkeeper Filip Kurto was excellent for the visiting team until the 29th minute when he should have done better to stop an angled volley from teenage fullback Cacace, who met Davila's cross first time to record his second goal of the season. Western United looked sharper when Max Burgess replaced Panagiotis Kone after the Greek forward suffered what looked to be a serious arm injury.
It could not convert a handful of half chances in the second spell, meaning they it has not registered a goal in its past three games.
Their pain intensified in the 90th minute when striker Ball pounced on a defensive blunder, lobbing Kurto when through one on one.
Eyebrows were raised just before kick off when midfielder Steven Lustica was named to start for Western, just minutes after his signing was announced by the club.