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Sport Nation
ALW Wrap: Phoenix fight past Wanderers to keep finals hopes alive
Anna Harrington, AAP • March 9th, 2025 9:43 pm
Wellington Phoenix skipper Annalie Longo | Photo: Morgan Hancock/AAP
A stunning goal from recruit Mebae Tanaka has helped Wellington clinch a comeback 2-1 win over Western Sydney and kept the Phoenix firmly in the A-League Women finals race.
And Melbourne Victory have beaten fellow finals aspirants Canberra United 2-0 to draw within two points of leaders Melbourne City.
Western Sydney appeared set to extend their winning streak to four when Bronte Trew opened the scoring in the 22nd minute at Porirua Park on Sunday.
But Japanese attacker Mebae Tanaka, recruited after impressing in Victoria's NPLW with Preston, let rip with a wonderful strike in the 75th minute, before Olivia Fergusson scored the winner 11 minutes later.
Eighth-placed Wellington (23 points) are just a point outside the top six with five games to go, with sixth-placed Central Coast and seventh-placed Canberra both on 24 points.
"I'm ecstatic," Wellington skipper Annalie Longo told Paramount Plus.
"Bit of a roller-coaster game, but I guess to go out there and get the three points...very, very proud of the girls.
"It's keeping that momentum going.
"We know we want to make finals and we know that every game counts."
The Wanderers (15 points) are nine points outside the top six.
Western Sydney took the lead when Alivia Kelly didn't properly judge a back-pass, with her poor touch opening the door for Trew to nip in, pinch the ball and burst forward to score.
Wellington equalised when a shallow clearance from a corner bobbled out to Tanaka, who turned on to her right and let rip with a wonderful strike into the roof of the net.
In the 86th minute, Talia Younis lost the ball and Zoe McMeeken whipped a cross in to the near post, where Fergusson athletically volleyed home the winner.
"It definitely feels like one that got away from us," Wanderers skipper Amy Harrison said.
"We dominated most parts of the game and I feel really hard done by to not come away with something."
At the home of the Matildas, Canberra held on against Victory until the 70th minute.
Football Fern Claudia Bunge launched a long ball to Holly Furphy, who knocked the ball down, then got past Tegan Bertolissio and somehow scored from an acute angle.
Emily Gielnik added a second when she nodded home a wonderful near post corner from fellow Matilda Alana Murphy in the 83rd minute.
Gielnik now has 10 goals for the season and is outright golden boot leader.
City (40 points) lead Victory (38) and Adelaide (36) in the race for the premiers plate.
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