Wellington’s Paul Ifill (left) is beaten to the ball by Western Sydney’s Jerome Polenz
Western Sydney Wanderers have gone 5 points clear at the top of the A League ladder, following a 2-1 win over Wellington Phoenix on Sunday.
Both teams started well by showing energy and effort from the kick off. However 7 minutes in a one-two combination saw Youssouf Hersi fouled in the box that earned the Wanderers a penalty. Shinji Ono stepped up to score and give his team an early lead.
Fourteen minutes later, some hesitant defending by Western Sydney cost them dearly. A deep cross from Wellington’s right was sent back across the face of goal for Jeremy Brockie to pounce on a loose ball and equalise for the Phoenix, 1-1.
Western Sydney’s uncharacteristic lethargy allowed Wellington to press when they had possession of the ball. They continued to do so for the remainder of the half.
The second half came to life in the 47th minute when a Hersi cross from the right was inexplicably hand balled by Phoenix defender Vincent Lia for a penalty. This time it was Mark Bridge that stepped up to convert the spot kick, putting Western Sydney back in the lead, 2-1.
After that goal, the Wanderers were back in synch with their regular style of play. They looked good with possession of the ball and their strict defence kept Wellington Phoenix at bay for the remainder of the match.
The win puts Western Sydney in the driver’s seat for the Premiers Plate. They now extend their lead to five points over the Central Coast Mariners with only three games to go.
Western Sydney Wanderers 2 (Shinji Ono 7′ Mark Bridge 47′)
Wellington Phoenix 1 (Jeremy Brockie 21′)
Man of the match: Jerome Polenz
Crowd: 15,809
