In an incredible minute of action, Wellington Phoenix attacker David Ball hit the post three times, which ultimately came back to bite his side in their 2-2 draw with Brisbane Roar in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
Wellington Phoenix battled back from an early deficit to take a 2-1 lead over Brisbane Roar early in the second half, thanks to an sublime team goal finished by Yan Sasse and they had a glorious opportunity to put some separation on the scoreboard in Auckland on Sunday.
In the 70th minute, David Ball found himself in space inside the box and fired an effort that ricocheted off one post before bouncing onto the other in the Isuzu UTE A-League showdown.
Roar keeper Jordan Holmes managed to claw it off the line, before his team-mate Taras Gomulka struggled to get the ball out for a corner, with his clearing effort hitting the post again.
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After play restarted, Ball once again found an opening inside the area and hit the post once more, capping off an unbelievable 60 seconds that saw Wellington somehow not take a two-goal lead.
Those misses came back to haunt the ‘Nix as Roar defender Scott Neville nodded home a late equaliser, which has all but ended Wellington’s top-four hopes and kept them within touching distance of the trailing pack of sides battling for a spot in the finals.
“I was speaking to Ify (Paul Ifill) there… I don’t think you can do any more,” Ball told Sky Sports NZ about the misses.
“Usually it hits the goalkeeper and goes in on the back one and then this one here (the second one) I just tried to poke it, if it went any further, it hits him. I think that’s just the luck of the draw.”
Sky Sports NZ presenter Goran Paladin jokingly asked Ball whether they need to talk to the groundskeeper about “shaving a coat of paint of the posts”.
MATCH REPORT: Wasteful Phoenix let chances slip in draw with Brisbane – ‘We had enough to win three or four football matches’
“Yeah, a bit of grease in there,” Ball responded tongue in cheek.
The initial chance was checked by VAR to see if it crossed the line, but on inspection the ball fell agonisingly short of beating Holmes.
Wellington’s faithful at Eden Park chanted “VAR, VAR” as the verdict was being decided, but in the end, play was resumed from a corner.
“A bit of both,” Ball said when asked if he hoped it crossed the line.
“I was just hoping that usually, that spin takes it away and takes it in and one of the players just knocking it in as they’re trying to get back in.
“So it’s agonising and these are the finer details that if they go for you on the day, we take three points and we’re happy as days.”
MATCH REPORT – AAP
Wellington Phoenix’s Brazilian wildcat Yan Sasse played the role of villain, hero and villain once more in their 2-2 draw with Brisbane Roar, a result which did little for either side’s finals ambitions.
The Nix led 2-1 and were pushing hard for a third before Scott Neville’s late headed equaliser ended their chances of a top-four finish.
Brisbane, which remain stranded just out of the six finals positions with two rounds to go, will also lament not holding an early lead gifted by Yan Sasse.
The Brazilian was in everything on Sunday at Eden Park, Wellington’s Auckland fortress where they have not lost in 11 outings.
His earliest involvement was his worst, clumsily tackling Jez Lofthouse for a seventh-minute Brisbane penalty.
Jay O’Shea made no mistake from the spot and in doing so, scored for a sixth straight match to equal a Brisbane record set by legend Besart Berisha in 2012.
Lofthouse was involved again for Phoenix’s reply, catching David Ball as the Englishman surged into the box for a return penalty.
Oskar Zawada’s resulting goal was his 14th of the season, giving Wellington a platform to kick on.
After the first-half penalties, Yan Sasse put the Nix ahead on the 56th minute with a sumptuous effort, racing clean through on goal after one-twos with Kosta Barbarouses and Zawada that split the Brisbane defence.
From that point, Wellington laid siege to Jordan Holmes’ goal and looked certain winners.
David Ball hit the woodwork three times in an insane 70 seconds, including one shot that hit the inside of both posts before being scurried away.
Failing to kick clear, Brisbane made the Kiwis pay in the 83rd minute, when Neville headed O’Shea’s corner past Sail.
Yan Sasse was then guilty of a horror miss in stoppage time, failing to hit the target with a clear header just metres from goal.
The draw keeps Wellington on track for finals, snapping a run of three straight losses, but ends their hopes of a top four finish and a home final.
Ufuk Talay’s side can confirm their participation with four points in their final two matches, on the road to Western Sydney and Macarthur.
For Brisbane, it’s a harder path to the post-season.
The draw in Auckland – caretaker coach Nick Green’s first point on the road – leaves them ninth, two points from sixth place on full-time, meaning they must beat Sydney at home next week to have any chance.
