Left it late! Wellington Phoenix find dramatic 95th-minute winner to reach top of A-League ladder in absolute New Zealand scenes
A 95th-minute winner has lifted Wellington Phoenix to club-record heights – top of the A-League Men’s table with a fortnight to go.
Whether it was Finn Surman’s first ever effort or a Roderick Miranda own goal, the late, late breakthrough was enough for a 1-0 win over Melbourne Victory.
With 120 seconds remaining, the rain-soaked affair looked set to become a grueling scoreless draw.
That is, until the Nix defenseman got clear of his marker, headed Oskar van Hattum’s free kick past Paul Izzo — via Miranda’s chest — and sparked wild scenes.
Goalkeeper Alex Paulsen produced a full-pitch sprint and knee-slide in celebration after the goal, keeping Wellington right in the mix for the first piece of silverware in the club’s history.
Phoenix’s Finn Surman celebrates after his late strike deflected off Melbourne Victory’s Roderick Miranda and into the net
The die-hard Phoenix fans who braved the fierce conditions had to wait until the last minute to celebrate the victory
The result means Phoenix (49 points) are three points clear of Central Coast, who play second-bottom Western United on Saturday, where a win will return the Mariners to the top.
The three points also mean Giancarlo Italiano’s side have their highest points tally in a single season – the coach’s stated goal for the campaign.
They cannot finish lower than second, securing their best finish in 17 seasons and a first home final in nine years.
“I’m excited now that we get the opportunity to play at home in front of a Wellington crowd to get to a grand final,” Italiano said.
At full-time, the team celebrated with the 6,360 faithful who braved the dreadful day, dancing to the unofficial team song Chelsea Dagger.
Italiano, who excelled in his first season as a senior coach, was the odd man out trying to keep things under wraps.
“Right now they want to be in the dressing room, they want to sing and rejoice, I’m not taking part in that, that’s for them,” he said.
‘My job is to keep them calm and ready for the next challenge.’
A 50mm soaking, including solid rainfall through the first hour of the game, dashed hopes of a bumper crowd and a free-flowing game.
The win by Phoenix puts them at the top of the A-League ladder with the most competition points scored in a single season in history
Long-suffering Wellington fans were in full voice after the win, which has the club well placed for a maiden A-League trophy
With a marquee opponent, a top-two finish on the line and a rare Friday night, Phoenix would have hoped for a five-figure turnout.
Still, the high stakes guaranteed a match, even if the waterlogged pitch made a passing game almost impossible.
After 35 minutes, Kosta Barbarouses did well to cut down for Ben Old, who dragged on his effort from close to the penalty spot, his disappointment evident.
Bruno Fornaroli then showed excellent hold-up play in the middle before releasing Ben Folami, who crashed into the outside of the net after driving clear down the left.
Wellington created fewer chances, but better ones, with Victory firing eight shots in the first half against Paulsen without putting one on target.
As the rain eased in the second half, Nix stole the upper hand, with Surman, Ben Old and Bozhidar Kraev all having opportunities.
On 77 minutes, Fornaroli finally drew a first save from Paulsen after Nicholas Pennington’s mistake gave the marksman a sniff for his 19th goal of the campaign.
Old thought he had blown a Wellington win in the first minute of added time when he failed to tap the Barbarouses’ free-kick which was saved by Izzo and fell at his feet.
That was until Surman’s late intervention ended Victory’s five-match unbeaten run and their hopes of gatecrashing the top two.
‘Congratulations to Wellington. They won the game and they’re getting credit and they’re celebrating tonight,” Victory coach Tony Popovic said.
‘A game like this, you need your best officials for the game. The best would make some other decisions.’