Wellington Phoenix kept their slim finals hopes alive with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Adelaide United at Porirua Park on Wednesday afternoon.
The ‘Nix wasted no time getting on top in the Round 16 catchup game, as Mariana Speckmaier opened the scoring with her seventh goal in her last seven games.
Alyssa Whinham hit the post after half-time before two goals in quick succession to Kate Taylor and Michaela Robertson put the ‘Nix out of sight.
The hosts were cruising to full-time before matchday captain Michaela Foster put the icing on the cake, thumping home her first goal of the season to extend Wellington’s lead to four goals and seal an emphatic win.
Wellington jumped from 10th to eighth on the Liberty A-League table after Wednesday’s triumph; Paul Temple’s side are now five points behind sixth-placed Western Sydney Wanderers with two games still to play for both teams.
At full-time, Sky Sports commentator Jason Pine summed up the job ahead for the Phoenix, with two huge games in the next 10 days that could save their season and launch them to the Liberty A-League finals for the first time in club history.
“That sixth spot is the one Wellington Phoenix are targeting, currently occupied by the Western Sydney Wanderers with 30 points,” said Pine.
“Wellington can get to 31. Their next assignment is Canberra United on Sunday.
“The first part of a three-part mission is complete. They’ve won their first must-win game, they’ve got two more to go.
“Canberra on Sunday at McKellar Park… a win there, and who knows? It could be a huge match back here at Porirua Park next (against Western Sydney) weekend.”
Western Sydney face second-placed Western United on Saturday, March 23; defeat to the Wanderers, and a win for Wellington over Canberra, would leave the two sides three points apart and locked on nine wins apiece.
Wellington would then jump the Wanderers on the table if they defeated their final-round opponents.
Seventh-placed Newcastle Jets also have hopes of securing a spot in the six, entering the final two rounds three points behind the Wanderers and with games against Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United to come.
Speckmaier put the hosts on the board in the 4-0 win over Adelaide after just 13 minutes with her seventh goal in as many league games.
Macey Fraser stole the ball off Nanako Sasaki high up the pitch and Speckmaier made the Adelaide midfielder pay with a routine finish.
Rylee Foster produced a fingertip save to deny Isabel Hodgson an equaliser from range just before the half-hour mark.
Isabel Cox threatened to make it 2-0 to the ‘Nix soon after but Maruschka Waldus made a block for the away side.
Speckmaier went even closer from the resulting corner, heading Michaela Foster’s delivery just wide of the post.
The Phoenix continued on the attack after half-time and the in-form Alyssa Whinham came closest to doubling the advantage.
Speckmaier turned creator on the right wing, cutting a cross back to find Whinham on the edge of the area who controlled and fired against the post.
Whinham’s strike off the woodwork was a warning to the Reds for what was to come, as the ‘Nix quickly stormed into a three-goal lead.
Taylor made it two from close range after repeat attempts on goal from the home side.
Robertson then put the ‘Nix out of sight, swooping in to tap Emma Main’s perfectly-weighted cross into the back of the net from inside the six-yard box.
Foster iced the result in the first minute of extra time, with her first goal of the campaign.
Robertson provided the assist for Wellington’s fourth at Porirua Park, sliding her cross past a number of bodies in the box to find Foster arriving all alone at the back post to drive home the home side’s fourth.
Post-game, Phoenix head coach Temple praised his side for capitalising on their early lead.
“It was a really good performance,” he told media post-match. “I thought everyone from back to front was really good.
“It was a good response. Definite change in energy and intensity and we talked about making a mark on the game, and I thought we started well and then in the second half we particularly were quite dominant.
“I loved the energy. That’s how I want the team to play. Some of the short passing combinations through the middle at the start of the second half were really enjoyable to watch.”
“We’re not great at 1-0 leads this season,” Temple added. “We’ve given up some one-goal leads (but) as soon as we go two goals in front we haven’t lost.
“We’ve been in that situation a number of times and not come out with the win, so to come out, dominate the second half (and) score another three goals was big.
“We’ll go to Canberra now and we’ll be fizzing, and the team will be ready.”
