“They both struggled at the start to really get into the game, but as the game eventuated they got a little bit more confident and in the end Kaelin made the run that won us the game.
“That was the sort of thing I was looking for from my senior players and I am very happy that the younger players could provide that.”
He has praised the whole team for their performance in their first competitive outing of pre-season.
“I’m really pleased for the playing group because we were nowhere near conditioned to play 60 minutes let alone 120.
“What I was really, really happy with was we stuck to what we wanted to do with the ball. Obviously at times it didn’t work and it was a little bit rough.
“I thought they played exceptionally well. Considering that we had to travel yesterday, it was our first competitive game, and we were away from home, I’m happy to get the victory.”
Italiano handed Phoenix first team debuts to new signings Mohamed Al-Taay and Lukas Kelly-Heald, who started in the two fullback positions, while Alex Paulsen got the nod in goal ahead of fellow off-season recruit Jack Duncan. Defenders Scott Wootton and Sam Sutton, who have recently returned from injuries, were named amongst the substitutes alongside Rudland, Nguyen and fellow academy players Ben Wallace and Fergus Gillion.
The Nix quickly settled into their new shape and Oskar Zawada attempted to open the scoring from a bicycle kick in the eighth minute. Peninsula Power ‘keeper Lachlan Hunter did well to deny the Polish striker’s spectacular effort, but it wouldn’t have counted anyway as Zawada was penalised for a high foot.
Wellington’s 2022-23 player of the year was busy throughout the first half, whistling a shot narrowly over the crossbar and skying a volley well off target, both times after being teed up by attacking midfielder Bozhidar Kraev.
The hosts enjoyed a good spell midway through the half, without troubling Paulsen in the Phoenix goal, while Kelly-Heald tested Hunter with a shot from the top of the box that the hosts’ ‘keeper held on to.
Pennington put the Nix in front a couple of minutes before halftime when he showed great composure to round the last Power defender and slot his shot past Hunter after he couldn’t deal with Oskar van Hattum’s shot from the top of the box.
Peninsula Power started the second-half strongly and Paulsen needed to parry away a curling shot in the 53rd minute to keep the Phoenix in front.
Kraev came closest to doubling Wellington’s lead shortly after the hour mark when he curled a shot wide right after being set up by Kosta Barbarouses.
The hosts drew level in the 71st minute when fullback Lewis Greenwood toed a left-footed shot into the far corner of the Phoenix goal after finding some space in the box with a fortunate first touch.
Barbarouses had a great chance to put the Nix back in front shortly after when Nguyen, fresh off the bench, delivered a dangerous left-wing cross, but the All Whites forward dragged his volley narrowly wide of the post.
Opportunities were few and far between for either side for the remainder of the 90 minutes and into extra time, with the fresh legs of Nguyen and Rudland, playing down the left and right flanks respectively, looking the most likely to break the deadlock.
So it proved to be in the 119th minute when Rudland beat a couple of Peninsula Power defenders to Nguyen’s near post cross and his shot wrong-footed Lachlan Hunter in Power’s goal.
The Phoenix will have to wait another ten days to learn their next opponents, with the round of 16 draw to take place after the final round of 32 matches on Monday, August 14.
The round of 16 will be held from Saturday, August 26 to Wednesday, August 30.
