KEY POINTS:
Glen Moss deserved better.
After his heroics had put the vastly under-strength Wellington Phoenix within sight of an unlikely victory over much-touted Sydney FC last night, the gallant Moss was finally beaten by a gut-wrenching Ufuk Talay penalty deep into stoppage time, after the home side had been punished for needlessly giving up possession in the middle of the field.
For coach Ricki Herbert, watching from afar and hoping his club side could do what the All Whites had done against Vanuatu in Port Vila earlier in the day, hopes must have been high when 90 minutes ticked by with the Phoenix a goal to the good.
But when Vince Lia turned the ball over and Sydney charged forward to win a penalty when Mark Bridges was brought down by Steven Old - who was dispatched for a second yellow card - referee Peter Green had no option but to raise the ire of the Westpac Stadium faithful in pointing to the spot.
Talay calmly slotted and the brave Phoenix were left to rue what might have been.
Written off as no-hopers against a team unbeaten on the road this Hyundai A-League season - and in their third match under new coach John Kosmina - the Phoenix wanted no part of such a script.
Captain Ross Aloisi muffed a chance inside two minutes to set the tempo. Veteran Vaughan Coveny was clipped on the edge of the Sydney penalty area as he led the Phoenix attack. It might have been a penalty.
The best of the early chances for the visitors fell to leading goalscorer Alex Brosque - set up by Bridges - but Moss pulled off a remarkable reflex save to deny him.
The play broke to the other end. The home side won a corner, which Daniel floated to the centre of the Sydney goal, from where Aloisi was on the spot to volley home his second of the season for 1-0.
The visitors also had a late chance, from a quickly-taken free kick, but Moss again pulled off a save he had no right to make.
The second half was more of the same - chances for both teams and more amazing saves from Moss.
The Phoenix lifted, had half chances but not the finish, and in the end it came down to that heart-breaker and three points thrown away in a disappointing end to a brave effort against the odds.
