Photo: Masanori Udagawa/Photosport
The Wellington Phoenix women sensationally snapped their run of road defeats by beating the Perth Glory 3-1 to keep their Liberty A-League finals hopes alive.
The Phoenix managed their first win on Australian soil since October thanks to goals from Alyssa Whinham, Michaela Robertson and Macey Fraser at Macedonia Park in Perth over night.
It leaves the Phoenix women two points adrift of the top six with four matches remaining, three of which will be at home.
"It's a huge win for us," Phoenix head coach Paul Temple told media post-match. "It's been well documented our struggles on the road so we've decided to come to the furthest place we can play and get a win.
"But I thought we were well deserved winners in the end. It was very, very tight in the first half. It was pretty end to end and both teams had some good chances, but I thought in the second half we really stepped it up and had the best chances.
"We had two real moments of quality. Alyssa's through ball for the second goal was outrageous really and Macey's finish for the third goal. We haven't had those bits of quality in the last few weeks, and it was awesome to see that tonight."
Temple believes staying in Australia after Sunday's disappointing 5-3 defeat to Melbourne Victory proved to be pivotal.
"It could literally change our season doing that. It was a really good decision ...We've had some time in Perth, adjusted to the time zone [and] trained in the heat."
Temple made four changes to the XI which started against Victory, with second half substitutes Michaela Robertson, Mariana Speckmaier and Tiana Jaber, and academy graduate Daisy Brazendale replacing Zoe McMeeken, Emma Main, Hailey Davidson and Macey Fraser.
Temple had to make a further change little over a quarter of an hour into the match when centre back Rebecca Lake was forced off with an ankle injury and replaced by Main. It meant captain Michaela Foster dropped into a back three alongside Mackenzie Barry and Jaber.
The Phoenix broke the deadlock with a quickfire counter into the strong breeze. Speckmaier won possession inside Wellington's half, burst up field and found Isabel Cox, who stood up an inch-perfect cross to the back post which Whinham nodded home from close range.
Goalkeeper Rylee Foster made a sharp save to deny Philippines international Quinley Quezada in the 40th minute, but with the wind at their backs, the Glory looked most dangerous from set pieces.
And it was from a set piece that they drew level a couple of minutes later, with Hana Lowry curling in a right-wing free-kick.
The Nix came within inches of restoring their lead in first half stoppage time when Main's deflected strike rattled the crossbar, but Wellington had to be content with being level at halftime.
The Phoenix did reclaim their lead 10 minutes into the second half when Robertson beat the Perth goal keeper.
Fraser, on as a substitute in the 65th minute, added the exclamation point to Wellington's performance 12 minutes from fulltime when she pulled off a stunning long-range strike.
After eight road games in nine rounds the Wellington Phoenix will now prepare for two matches at Porirua Park in four days, starting with next Sunday's match against reigning champions Sydney FC.
