Wellington Phoenix v Melbourne City Live Commentary & Result, 2/1/23, A-League Men

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	PTS	Form
1	MCY Melbourne City	26	16	7	3	61	32	+29	55	W W D W W
2	CCM Central Coast Mariners	26	13	5	8	55	35	+20	44	W W D W W
3	ADE Adelaide United	26	11	9	6	53	46	+7	42	L D L D W
4	WSW Western Sydney Wanderers	26	11	8	7	43	27	+16	41	L W W D L
5	SYD Sydney	26	11	5	10	40	39	+1	38	W W W D D
6	WEL Wellington Phoenix	26	9	8	9	39	45	-6	35	W L D L L
7	WUN Western United	26	9	5	12	34	47	-13	32	W L W L D
8	BRI Brisbane Roar	26	7	9	10	26	33	-7	30	W L D W L
9	PER Perth Glory	26	7	8	11	36	46	-10	29	L D L D W
10	NEW Newcastle Jets	26	8	5	13	30	45	-15	29	L L W L D
11	MVC Melbourne Victory	26	8	4	14	29	34	-5	28	L W L D L
12	MAC Macarthur	26	7	5	14	31	48	-17	26	L L L D L

FULL TIME - Melbourne City held off the strong second half challenge of Wellington in the second half before scoring very late in the piece to secure a hard fought 3-1 win. The win takes Melbourne City four points clear at the top of the ladder with a game on hand.

J. Maclaren

Goal

90' + 6' GOAL CITY - City have got them on the counter attack with Leckie laying it out to Nabbout who tees up Jamie Maclaren for the simple tap in at the far post. Melbourne City have this one all wrapped up at 3-1 with Maclaren scoring a brace.

90' + 5' Kraev shoots low through traffic but Glover is able to get down and make the save.

90' + 2' Wellington with a strong counter and Glover has certainly saved City here. He was outnumbered but still was able to make two key saves under enormous pressure.

90' + 2' Maclaren is out the back with Sail to beat but he shoots straight into the keeper who is able to recover and take possession.

90' + 1' The corner is sent in with Glover getting two hands on it before it is sent out for a goal kick.

90' There will be seven minutes of stoppage time as Wellington win the corner.

N. Pennington

C. Elliot

89' SUBSTITUTION PHOENIX - Callan Elliot comes off to be replaced by Nicholas Pennington.

O. van Hattum

Yan Sasse

88' SUBSTITUTION PHOENIX - Yan Sasse has been replaced by Oskar van Hattum.

S. Jamieson

R. van der Venne

86' SUBSTITUTION CITY - Richard van der Venne cramps up and is replaced by Scott Jamieson.

85' Elliot is again prominent as he crosses to Zawada but once again Zawada sends his header straight to Glover.

83' Elliot comes down the right and sets up Barbarouses. He only has Glover to beat and does so but he smashes it into the cross bar! It's a case of so close yet so far for Wellington.

81' Wellington are playing all over City at the moment and they are doing everything but scoring.

80' Elliot goes to the far post towards Zawada who heads it wide for a goal kick.

79' Zawada lays it on for Ball who shoots, but it's straight at Glover.

76' The corner is sent in before it's promptly cleared. Barbarouses sends it back in looking for Zawada but the City defence are able to clear the danger again.

73' Wellington keep applying the pressure but they can't find a way through.

R. van der Venne

Yellow Card

70' YELLOW CARD - Richard van der Venne has been booked for his foul on Lewis.

A. Nabbout

M. Tilio

67' SUBSTITUTION CITY - Marco Tilio is off for Andrew Nabbout.

S. Galloway

C. Talbot

67' SUBSTITUTION CITY - Callum Talbot has been replaced by Scott Galloway.

66' The corner is sent into the box with Zawada heading it out the back but he sends it wide.

66' Wellington win another corner with Talbot keeping Mauragis at bay.

64' Wellington have certainly lifted their intensity.

61' Berisha is clear and onside but he looks for Maclaren who can't seen to dig it out from under his feet.

58' The game is really opening up with Wellington chasing an equaliser.

55' There is a bit of feeling between Payne and Tilio after the latter's challenge on the former.

K. Barbarouses

S. Ugarković

52' SUBSTITUTION PHOENIX - Steven Ugarković has been replaced by Konstantinos Barbarouses.

J. Maclaren

Penalty Goal

51' PENALTY GOAL CITY - Maclaren stares down Sail and sends the penalty to the right. Sail guesses correctly but can't get to it in time and Maclaren puts Melbourne City 2-1 ahead. Maclaren has now scored in nine consecutive A-League matches and that is a new record.

49' Tilio is brought down in the box by Kraev and referee King takes time to think before awarding the penalty.

48' Tilio gets deep inside the area but Sail smothers his feet and makes the save.

Nuno Reis

C. Good

46' SUBSTITUTION CITY - Curtis Good has picked up an injury and he has been replaced by Nuno Reis.

45' The second half is underway with Wellington kicking off towards the Southern End.

HALF TIME - An entertaining first half comes to an end and we are all square after Leckie cancelled out Ball's opener to give us a 1-1 scoreline at half-time.

45' + 1' Zawada is in behind the defence and chips Glover nicely to find the back of the net but he was offside.

44' Glover loses the ball in what should have been a calamity for City. He tripped over his own feet! However, he somehow endures a lucky escape with Zawada unable to round him and shoot straight. Thomas Glover seems to make an embarassing mistake every game!

43' Ball looks to thread through the City tight line but the flag goes up for offside.

39' Melbourne City are slowly getting on top here.

37' Tilio finds Maclaren in the box and he finds the back of the net but he did so from an offside position.

36' Tilio sends it to the far post looking for Leckie but Elliot heads it out for a corner.

34' The corner is taken short but Wellington are forced a long way out from the box.

33' Wellington are enjoying a good period at the moment with Lam forced to head Elliot's cross out for another corner.

32' The corner is sent in but it's straight to Glover.

31' Mauragis sends the cross in towards Zawada but his header comes off Good's back and goes out for a corner.

S. Ugarković

Yellow Card

28' YELLOW CARD - Steven Ugarković has been booked for his challenge on Berisha.

28' The pace of the game has slowed down after it got hectic early.

25' Melbourne City have their second corner but it's cleared by Lewis.

C. Good

Yellow Card

22' YELLOW CARD - Curtis Good is booked for his foul on Ugarkovic.

M. Leckie

Goal

18' GOAL CITY - Tilio sends the cross from the right to the top of the six yard box where Mathew Leckie heads past Sail to score the equaliser. We are all square at 1-1.

18' City have a chance to almost replicate Ball's goal but Maclaren cannot help it inside the back of the net from the far post.

17' Melbourne City have gone down 1-0 for the first time this season.

D. Ball

Goal

16' GOAL PHOENIX - Kraev finds Elliot in space and he cuts it back to Ball who flicks it wide across Glover and it sneaks inside the far post to open the scoring. Wellington lead 1-0.

15' Wellington have made a good start to this match.

12' Kraev runs onto the ball into the box and shoots but the offside flag goes up once Glover makes a fine save.

9' Berisha sends the corner to the near post where Lam rises and heads over.

9' Melbourne City produce a strong counter and they have the corner.

8' Zawada with a header from inside the six yard box but he cannot head it on target.

J. Bos

Yellow Card

7' YELLOW CARD - Jordan Bos receives an early yellow card after clinging onto Sasse.

5' It has been an even start to the game.

3' Wellington are looking to keep their unbeaten record since the World Cup intact.

1' We are off and underway.

Melbourne City (4-2-3-1): Glover (GK); Bos, Good, Lam, Talbot; O'Neill, van der Venne; Tilio, Leckie, Berisha; Maclaren. Subs: Sutton (GK), Rodrigues, Galloway, Jamieson, Gomulka, Nabbout, Reis.

Wellington (4-4-2): Sail (GK); Mauragis, Payne, Wootton, Elliot; Kraev, Lewis, Ugarkovic, Sasse; Zawada, Ball. Subs: Paulsen (GK), Barbarouses, Karunaratne, Laws, Pennington, Rufer, van Hattum.

Melbourne City can go four points clear at the top of the ladder with a game in hand should they win today.

Wellington are currently ninth on the ladder and the second highest goal scorers of the competition. A win today will see them rise to fourth.

Good afternoon and welcome to Wellington for today's match between Wellington and Melbourne City.

Wellington Phoenix v Melbourne City Live Commentary, 2/1/23

Key Events

Match Stats

Key

Commentary