Oskar Zawada and the Phoenix celebrate the only goal. Photo / Getty
Oskar Zawada and the Phoenix celebrate the only goal. Photo / Getty
Wellington Phoenix 1
Brisbane Roar 0
Polish striker Oskar Zawada has fired the Phoenix to victory for the second match in a row, with this win coming in rather more straightforward fashion.
Seven days after surviving two red cards and two stoppage-time penalties in a heart-stopping 1-0 triumph over Sydney FC, Wellington repeated that scoreline tonight to earn back-to-back victories for the first time this A-League season.
Zawada again scored the only goal against the Brisbane Roar at Moreton Daily Stadium - his fifth of the campaign - but that’s where the similarities between the fixtures ended.
The Phoenix were largely comfortable in controlling possession and, although they allowed their opponents more openings than ideal, defended their lead well once Zawada had nodded them ahead in the 65th minute.
The back-to-back clean sheets were a huge boon for a Wellington side who had the worst defensive record of any side in the top eight of the table, helping them leapfrog Brisbane.
Skipper Oli Sail, who last week saved one of Sydney’s penalties before watching the second sail over his bar, produced another couple of clutch stops late in the match to preserve the three points.
The intervention of Sail was also the way the game began, with the goalkeeper’s fingertips required in the third minute to prevent Nikola Mileusnic from converting the best opportunity of the opening half.
The first 45 minutes saw Brisbane enjoy the better chances while the Phoenix had the better of possession, especially effective when moving the ball at pace. The visitors repeatedly stretched the Roar defence to fashion half-openings but were unable to work the goalkeeper with any regularity.
The Roar, on the other hand, particularly thrived when playing over the top and splitting the Phoenix centre-backs, with an offside Mileusnic putting the ball in the back of the net midway through the half.
Both central defenders - Tim Payne and Joshua Laws, playing in place of an injured Scott Wootton - were soon required to block goalbound shots as the Roar continued to threaten.
Louis Zabala and the Roar were frustrated by the Phoenix. Photo / Getty
But the Phoenix were otherwise unbothered before the break and, as the general trend of play continued in the second spell, eventually showed a clinical edge to find a breakthrough.
Zawada had spurned his side’s clearest first-half chance, scuffling his shot with a good sight of goal on the angle, but the Pole couldn’t miss after the hour.
On-loan fullback Lucas Mauragis did superbly to fashion space on the left and stand up a pinpoint cross to the far post, leaving Zawada with little more to do than nod the ball into a vacant net.
The Phoenix notably and understandably fell back after finding the lead, bringing on Finn Surman and switching to five in defence, and Sail was soon required to seal the result.
First, with five minutes to play, the diving goalkeeper turned away Joe Knowles on the volley. Then, in the 94th minute, Sail stood firm at the near post to deny the same player and clinch consecutive road wins.
