Wellington Phoenix rating two late targets to attract 2-2 with Melbourne Metropolis

At AAMI Park, Melbourne: Wellington Phoenix 2 (Sam Sutton 79’, Kosta Barbarouses 90’) Melbourne Metropolis 2 (Jamie Maclaren penalty-16’, Marco Tilio 34’) HT: 0-2

Kosta Barbarouses celebrated his fiftieth look for Wellington Phoenix in fashion by scoring a objective within the ninetieth minute to grab an unlikely 2-2 draw away to A-League Males leaders Melbourne Metropolis.

The Phoenix fought again from two targets down to gather their third level of the season, with coach Ufuk Talay’s daring triple substitution of Barbarouses, Bozhidar Kraev and Oskar Zawada fully altering the result of the sport.

Talay swung the axe after final week’s shoddy efficiency in opposition to Newcastle Jets, with Barbarouses, Kraev and Zawada dropping to the bench together with Steven Ugarkovic and Josh Legal guidelines.

However Barbarouses responded in the very best manner, scoring off the bench to register his first objective for the Phoenix within the A-League since returning to his hometown membership.

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“Gamers have to recognise in the event that they don’t carry out they don’t begin,” Talay stated after the sport.

“We made some adjustments to verify gamers know there’s guys able to take their spot, and it’s nice to see that the blokes who didn’t begin got here on and did a fantastic job.”

The Phoenix discovered themselves in an early gap once they conceded a penalty for handball within the sixteenth minute and golden boot chief Jamie Maclaren made no mistake from the spot.

Metropolis have been awarded the penalty after Socceroos World Cup hopeful Marco Tilio’s shot struck the arm of Tim Payne as he slid in to dam it.

Oli Sail dived to the appropriate however Maclaren went low to the left to proceed his excellent file of scoring in each sport of the season up to now.

Tilio doubled Metropolis’s benefit with a tap-in on the again publish within the thirty fourth minute after Mathew Leckie pounced on a heavy contact from the returning Yan Sasse.

Metropolis regarded on their manner for a fourth straight win of 2022-23.

However Talay didn’t die questioning. He went to his bench early within the second half and introduced on three attack-minded gamers on the similar time.

They made a right away influence. Zawada flashed a shot huge of the objective whereas Kraev had the ball at the back of the online, just for his objective to be rubbed out for offside.

Replays confirmed Kraev had strayed previous the final defender earlier than getting his head to a Clayton Lewis free-kick within the sixty fifth minute.

Metropolis wished a second spot-kick after referee Adam Kersey marched over to the monitor to assessment a problem from Scott Wootton within the field.

However whistle-blower Kersey decided the centre-back had not dedicated a foul as he slid in to get the ball, replays exhibiting Maclaren had already misplaced possession.

The Phoenix’s first objective was well worth the wait. Sam Sutton laced a left-footed half-volley from outdoors the penalty space after a clearance fell kindly to the fullback following a 79th minute nook.

Their equaliser got here after some optimistic play from one other participant who had been dropped to the bench.

Introduced on with 5 minutes to go, Ugarkovic skipped previous two defenders and break up one other two with a threaded move for Ben Previous,

Previous noticed Barbarouses operating off the shoulder of Thomas Lam and slipped the ball by for the All Whites striker to bury into the underside proper nook.

Lam was despatched off in stoppage time, proven a second yellow card after catching Barbarouses with an elbow to the pinnacle as they challenged for the ball.

Lineup

Oli Sail; Callan Elliot, Tim Payne, Scott Wootton, Sam Sutton; Nicholas Pennington (Steven Ugarkovic 85’), Clayton Lewis; Ben Previous (Josh Legal guidelines 90+4’), Yan Sasse (Kosta Barbarouses 55’), David Ball (Bozhidar 55’); Ben Waine (Oskar Zawada 55’)

The Phoenix made 5 adjustments to their beginning XI following their defeat to Newcastle Jets with fit-again ahead Ball, Sasse, Previous, Pennington and Elliot coming in for Barbarouses, Zawada, Kraev, Ugarkovic and Legal guidelines. Sasse performed in behind Waine in a tweaked 4-2-3-1 formation.

Massive second

For the second time this season, the Phoenix scored late to grab a draw, with Barbarouses’ ninetieth objective coming two weeks after Pennington pressured an personal objective on the demise in opposition to Central Coast Mariners.

Participant of the day

Previous shone in his first begin for the Phoenix. He was vigorous down the appropriate and picked out Barbarouses with a beautiful move to help on the equalising objective.

Massive image

The ninth-place Phoenix are but to win a sport, however a draw away to Melbourne Metropolis is the following neatest thing. They host Dwight Yorke’s Macarthur at Sky Stadium subsequent Sunday in what would be the Bulls’ first go to to New Zealand.