Phoenix left treading water
Brisbane Roar have rained on Ben Waine’s parade, keeping the in-form Wellington Phoenix striker scoreless for the first time in five games to grind out a sloppy 0-0 draw last night.
Looking to become the first player in Phoenix history to score in five consecutive games, Waine was reduced to a bit-part role in horribly wet conditions at Moreton Daily Stadium in Redcliffe.
The 19-year-old made a miserly seven touches and two passes without a shot before being substituted for speedster Jaushua Sotirio at halftime.
The Phoenix struggled to adjust to the difficult conditions as heavy pre-match rain soaked the pitch.
It took 55 minutes to register their first shot on target with Clayton Lewis delivering a lowdriven effort from well outside
Wellington Phoenix 0 Brisbane Roar 0
the box but Ulises Davila, Reno Piscopo and David Ball all forced strong saves out of Roar goalkeeper Jamie Young in the final 10 minutes as the Phoenix pressed hard for a breakthrough goal. Sotirio earlier also hit a shot wide when in on goal as the Nix clearly won the second half.
The result set back the Phoenix’s hopes of making the top six, keeping them two points below Western United, who have played two fewer games, and one point below the Roar, who have played three fewer.
Cameron Devlin and Louis Fenton were both guilty of picking up soft yellow cards that will see them miss this week’s clash with Adelaide United due to accumulation.