Roar rain on Nix parade AT A GLANCE
The Wellington Phoenix’s unbeaten run in the A-League has ended at nine matches.
Dylan Wenzel-Halls scored with 20 minutes to play to give the Brisbane Roar a 1-0 win at Suncorp Stadium last night.
The Phoenix had several good chances during the first half, hitting the post twice, but were sluggish in the second spell until they went behind – a drop-off that has become a recurring theme in recent weeks.
Their first loss since the opening weekend of November was one that had been coming, to an extent, and it will now be a case of how they react.
For the first time since they first wore it at home against Brisbane in late November – the second match of their unbeaten run – the Phoenix weren’t in the all-yellow highlighter kit that has become their favourite, instead wearing black tops and yellow shorts.
The match was played largely at walking pace in the first half on a hot, humid evening in Brisbane, with the Phoenix looking to release Jaushua Sotirio in behind at every opportunity.
They looked best when trying to combine in the middle of the park before freeing up Liberato Cacace down the left, the fullback running on to a neat through ball from McCowatt midway through the half but failing to find Gary Hooper in front of goal in the standout move.
Sotirio went close to opening the scoring when he was played in McCowatt soon after, hitting the crossbar with his shot, although the video assistant referee might have wanted to check whether he had strayed offside.
There was a shout for handball 10min before the break, when Sotirio fired a shot at Jacob Pepper, only for referee Alex King to rule his hands weren’t in an unnatural position.
Steven Taylor became the second Wellington player to hit the crossbar, heading into it after Gary Hooper flicked on a Da´ vila cross from the right.
Matti Steinmann received his fifth yellow card of the season, which means he will be suspended for next Friday’s visit from Newcastle Jet, putting Ufuk Talay in a bit of a pickle as Alex Rufer isn’t expected back from his knee injury until February.
The Roar started the second half brightly and forced Stefan Marinovic into action when Jay O’Shea tested him from outside the area 7min in.
With the Phoenix struggling to impose themselves, the Roar continued to threaten, Brad Inman
69min) (Dylan WenzelHalls 0-0 requiring Marinovic to make a save with a shot from the edge of the area that took a deflection on the hour mark.
David Ball returned from his hip injury with 25min to play, but it was a Roar substitute who broke the deadlock, Wenzel-Halls nutmegging Taylor before finishing past Marinovic in the 69th minute as rain arrived.
That left the Phoenix with just over 20min to try to keep their unbeaten streak alive, and they nearly found the goal they needed in the 75th, when Hooper headed a ball cross straight at Roar keeper Jamie Young. While he was flagged for offside, a review of the action suggested he was fine.
Going behind had sparked the Phoenix into life, and Da´vila forced Young to tip one of his trademark long shots over as the clock ticked past 80min, while the keeper also decided to palm away a Tim Payne cross.
Inman spurned a chance to put the game to bed, when WenzelHalls played him in after seizing on a bad pass and creating a twoon-one against Taylor.
Down the other end, Hooper nearly equalised when he got a touch on a cross, only for the ball to slide past the far post and out for a goal kick – the off-target shot summing up the Phoenix’s night.
They remain in fourth after the loss and won’t be overtaken this weekend.
Brisbane Roar 1 Phoenix 0. HT: