Wellington Phoenix have secured their place in the semi-finals with a 2-0 win over Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium.
Brooke Nunn created the first when her cross was headed home by Marisa Van der Meer, and she nodded in the second herself moments later to wrap up the game after just 35 minutes.
The victory locks in a second-placed finish for Wellington Phoenix as it takes them three points ahead of Canberra in third – the gap between them on goal difference is 14. Adelaide remain in fourth but would slip down to sixth, sacrificing their home-ground advantage in the playoffs, if Central Coast and Brisbane both win on Saturday.
It took exactly half an hour for the deadlock to be broken and it came from a corner routine that Wellington had tried a handful of times already. Brooke Nunn was found in space on the edge of the area and was afforded plenty of time to float her cross towards the back post and it was met well by Marisa van der Meer who sent her header back across goal and beyond Claudia Jenkins.
Jenkins was called into action again just moments later when she responded sharply to beat away a snapshot on the turn from Makala Woods.
But from the resulting corner Manaia Elliott’s out-swinger found Nunn, who this time took up a spot at the front of the crowded penalty area, and she glanced her header into the back of the net to double the Phoenix lead after just four minutes.
Nunn very nearly put a cherry on top of her player of the match performance in the 88th minute when she worked her shot through a crowded area but it struck the post and was cleared away.
