Nix impress in loss to Jets
The Wellington Phoenix have lost for the first time in Auckland, going down 1-0 to the Newcastle Jets at QBE Stadium last night.
They turned in a performance far better than many they have had this season, but came away with nothing to show for it against the A-League’s second-placed side.
A point would have been the least they deserved, and on the evidence of this display, they will get something from at least one of their final four games, and a move off the bottom of the ladder – they remain three points behind the Central Coast Mariners, who play today – is not impossible.
Interim coach Chris Greenacre assembled his team in a 4-4-2 diamond formation, with 19-year-old attacking midfielder Sarpreet Singh playing at the tip, behind strikers Nathan Burns and Roy Krishna – handed the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured Andrew Durante.
It was a set up that appeared to get the best out of all three – both attackers like getting the ball in wide positions, and running into the box, and Singh enjoys playing deftly-weighted passes in behind the opposition defence. Matija Ljujic, on the right in midfield, also seemed to benefit from playing in a deeper position.
There were three first-half Phoenix chances that stood out, all involving those players.
The first was in the 16th minute, when Burns was freed down the right, and looked to find Singh in the middle, only for the youngster to scuff his shot; the second was in the 23rd, when Singh was freed down the right and looked to pick out Burns at the back post, but just missed him; the third was in the 35th, when Krishna got on the outside of Newcastle centre back Nikolai Topor-Stanley and looked to get free of him down the right, but could only send his shot into keeper Jack Duncan’s hands.
Newcastle had had chances of their own, but none as clear-cut as the home side’s, and it was somewhat against the run of play that they took the lead, two minutes before halftime, after a sequence of events where scorer Jason Hoffman had quite a bit of luck.
The right fullback surged down that flank and into the box largely unencumbered, played an unintentional one-two with Phoenix midfielder Matt Ridenton, fired a shot into team-mate Patricio Rodriguez, and then sent the rebound back goalwards, where keeper Tando Velaphi made a meal of it.
Burns was presented with an excellent chance to level the scores five minutes into the second half, given the ball on a platter right in front of goal by Krishna, only to somehow send his effort wide to the right.
In the 55th minute, Ljujic had an attempt from the edge of the box, which curled just to the left, and three minutes slater, Singh played his best through ball of the night, but despite being given plenty of time and space on the end of it, Krishna couldn’t get a shot off.
Velaphi had to make a fine save in the 70th minute after Dimitri Petratos turned on the spot at the edge of the box and fired off a shot, then did well to tip substitute Angus Thurgate’s shot into the post five minutes later, keeping the Phoenix in it.
Young fullback Liberato Cacace, of all people, had a goalbound shot blocked in the 83rd minute, and there was a goalmouth scramble at the end of injury time, but no matter who tried, they couldn’t find the back of the net, and so for the first time in eight matches, the Phoenix went away from Auckland empty-handed.
(Jason Hoffman HT: 1-0. 43’)