Phoenix draw with Brisbane

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Updated: 7:00am – The Wellington Phoenix have offered a glimpse of the future in recording a 2-2 home draw with Brisbane Roar.

Fielding a youthful line-up after losing five players to the All Whites, and keeper Tando Velaphi to injury, the last placed Phoenix delivered a gritty display against seventh-ranked Brisbane in their final home game of the season.

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A win would have shunted the Roar into sixth place on the ladder ahead of Western Sydney, but the Phoenix’ makeshift squad stepped up to momentarily halt their finals bid.

Neither team could find a finish in the first half, but delivered four goals in an entertaining end-to-end display in the second spell.

Interim Phoenix coach Chris Greenacre paid tribute to his team’s fightback after Brisbane took the lead via Brett Holman’s cool finish five minutes into the second spell.

“I think the boys showed really good character to come back,” Greenacre said.

“They had quite a bit of possession in the first half, but when we won the ball back we countered very, very quickly and caused them problems.

“That was pretty much part of the game plan – Brisbane teams always want to dictate the play in your half of the field, but I thought we could really hurt them on the counterattack, and we did.”

Brisbane fielded an unchanged starting line-up from the one which beat league leaders Sydney FC 2-1 last week, but lacked accuracy in front of goal despite creating plenty of opportunities.

Wellington were quick in responding to Holman’s goal through Andrija Kaludjerovic, then 19-year-old Logan Rogerson gave them an unlikely 2-1 lead after 65 minutes.

Brisbane equalised just three minutes later, Massimo Maccarone’s header rebounding kindly for Thomas Kristensen to prod home.

Brisbane coach John Aloisi was left lamenting his team’s tendency to squander opportunities.

“All in all, a draw was a fair result but we needed the three points,” he said afterwards.

“It was just the last pass or the last bit of decision-making because we were in good areas and just didn’t make the most of it.”

Brisbane are one point behind sixth-placed Western Sydney with three games remaining.

“We need to pick up points to push for finals but we knew they were going to be dangerous, especially on the counterattack,” Aloisi said.

“It was just disappointing that when we did have our opportunities to go at Wellington, sometimes we took a little bit too long and we didn’t actually punish them when we could have.”

-AAP / RNZ

Featured image: Logan Rogerson Photo: PHOTOSPORT

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