Skip to main content
#
 
 Football 
Saturday, November 27 2021
Wellington Phoenix hold on to beat Central Coast Mariners in A-League

Wellington Phoenix 2
Central Coast Mariners 1

The Wellington Phoenix have continued their strong start to the season, though it was a nervy affair.

They trumped the Central Coast Mariners 2-1 on Saturday night, hanging on for their first win of the campaign in a frenetic second half.

But the Phoenix made hard work of it, gifting a goal to the Mariners soon after taking the lead, then missing an 86th minute penalty which would have made the game safe.

That meant they had to navigate a difficult final period, with seven minutes added time, before holding on for the victory, secured thanks to second half goals from Gary Hooper and Jaushua Sotirio.

It's a vital result, that will do so much for the confidence of this young group, who were widely written off before the season.

There is still much to work on but they have something to build on, a marked contrast to last season, when they claimed only one point from the first three matches.

It also extends the Phoenix's unbeaten run to 13 matches, with their last defeat back in April against Melbourne City.

The first half was a cagey affair, with few clear-cut chances. It was far from ideal conditions, with a blustery wind, and both teams took time to settle.

Hooper had a couple of opportunities, though couldn't test Mariners goalkeeper Mark Birighitti.

Posted by: AT 09:44 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
Social Media
email usour twitterour facebook page