KEY POINTS:
Goalkeeper Glen Moss pulled off two fine saves in the dying minutes to enable Wellington Phoenix to earn a 1-1 draw in an A-League soccer match against Queensland Roar yesterday.
Queensland, who dominated the game in Wellington and had a few more attempts at goal than the Phoenix, were disappointed with the result, while the home side took away the one point with a smile, knowing they could have gone down by at least three goals.
Moss saved his team with a couple of fingertip saves from close-range attempts.
"Perhaps a typical first-up [performance] of the season but we'll take the point, we're happy to come away with a point," Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert said.
Queensland coach Frank Farina was disappointed with the way his team allowed the Phoenix to equalise soon after the Roar had taken the lead a minute into the second half.
"I think we were a better team, we created a few chances but we couldn't finish them off," Farina said.
In a scoreless first half, Queensland threatened the Phoenix goal three times. The closest they came to scoring was Tim Smits' header from Danny Tiatto's cross which hit the outside of the net in the eighth minute.
The Phoenix had just two shots in the first half - when Leo Bertos broke through and shot straight at goalkeeper Liam Reddy, and when Adam Kwasnik hit the bar, both threats coming within five minutes of the interval. Kwasnik had earlier had two free kicks deflected off the defensive wall.
Queensland took the lead in the 46th minute when Charlie Miller calmly slotted in a cross from Dutch import Sergio van Dijk.
The Phoenix responded with a goal in the 53rd minute when their leading scorer from last season, Shane Smeltz, met a cross from the left and volleyed home from just inside the box.
Queensland's defence appeared a little looser in the second half as they pushed upfield in search of goals.
That opened up a few more chances for Wellington on the left, where Bertos got clear to drop in a few crosses.
Smeltz tested Roar goalkeeper Reddy with a thunderous right-footer from 30m that was only just off target.
With neither team able to command the midfield, the strikers found little space.
- NZPA
