Roar 3 Wellington Phoenix 2
KEY POINTS:
It was a sombre Wellington Phoenix dressing room as they digested the A-League soccer ramifications of their last-gasp 2-3 defeat to Queensland Roar in Brisbane last night.
Not only did it provide a semifinal setback with four rounds remaining, but it cost them the services of key defenders Andrew Durante and Jon McKain for Sunday's must-win home match against Newcastle.
Both received automatic one-match bans; Durante for his red card after a second bookable offence that led to 17-year-old Tommy Oar's 91st-minute winner, and McKain for his fifth yellow card of the season.
Oar drilled the winning free kick from the edge of the area, via a deflection off a Phoenix head in the defensive wall, to delight the Suncorp Stadium crowd of 13,000.
It capped a tough night for Durante, the Phoenix captain. His initial yellow card led to the Roar's first goal in the 38th minute when he brought down a goal-bound Mitch Nichols, and Matt McKay scored when Sergio van Dijk's free kick cannoned off the crossbar.
Coach Ricki Herbert had no issues with Durante, who led a desperate Phoenix defensive effort. He blamed some earlier wrong decisions and felt his side should have made the game safe.
"It's a bit of a heartache really. We got our noses in front, twice, against the best defensive side in the league and we should have been good enough to hold on - that's the most disappointing thing," Herbert said.
"We were certainly good enough (to draw), and from a momentum point of view it would have been good to get away with a point."
The Phoenix remain fifth on the ladder on 22 points, three behind fourth-placed Central Coast, while Queensland moved to within a point of leaders Adelaide.
By Herbert's calculations, 30 points is required to book a top-four playoff spot, meaning two wins and two draws from their tough run in against Newcastle (home), Sydney (away), Adelaide (home) and Melbourne (away).
"It's getting to that desperate stage now but it's still all there for us."
A consolation in the absence of Durante and McKain is the likely return of defender Ben Sigmund against bottom-placed Newcastle after he was ruled out yesterday with a hip injury.
The Phoenix arrived in Brisbane winless from five previous A-League matches against the Roar, but confident of securing some points after winning four of their last six.
The visitors opened the scoring with some good fortune when Roar defender Luke DeVere nodded a Shane Smeltz cross into his own net; then hit the front again 40 seconds into the second half when Leo Bertos' blistering run and cross set up Troy Hearfield's pinpoint header at the far post.
Van Dijk levelled at 2-2 a minute later, and the Phoenix then defended stoutly against a mountain of possession as the Roar finished strongly but couldn't find the net.
Said McKain: "I think we were just a bit sloppy at times and I think with the goals we just didn't concentrate and that cost us.
"To lose to a free kick in the 91st minute, it's heartbreaking.
- NZPA
