Wellington Phoenix are up into second on the Ninja A-League after a clinical performance saw them defeat Adelaide United 3-1 at Porirua Park.
Referee Anna-Marie Keighley had a huge call to make after just 38 seconds at Porirua Park, opting to hand Nix defender Marisa Van der Meer a yellow card for bringing down Adelaide’s Fiona Worts despite the striker appearing to be clean through on goal.
Whilst the visitors settled quicker it was the home side who broke the deadlock in the 15th minute as winger Lucia Leon sprang the offside trap before squaring for striker Makala Woods to slot home her first Ninja A-League goal.
Wellington then doubled their lead just three minutes late as Woods turned provider, playing a brilliant through ball into the path of Brooke Nunn who coolly rounded the keeper before slotting into the empty net.
Adelaide had a good chance to pull one back in the 29th minute but Melissa Taranto curled her effort wide of the target after an excellent dribble into the box.
Clear-cut chances were few and far between in the second half but when one did arrive, Nunn was clinical from the edge of the box; firing the ball into the far corner beyond the sprawling dive over Ilona Melegh to make it 3-0.
Now trailing by three, the visitors responded almost immediately at Porirua Park as Isabel Hodgson was in the right place at the right time to lift the ball over the keeper from close range to make it 3-1.
The win is Wellington’s fourth in their last six matches, with the result seeing them soar up the ladder having started the day in 9th position.
Defeat for Adelaide sees the Reds’s excellent five-game unbeaten come to an end having won four of the last five matches before arriving in New Zealand.
