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Sport Nation
Phoenix ride luck for comeback win over Roar
Anna Harrington, AAP • October 26th, 2025 6:00 pm
Carlo Armiento's 97th minute goal has given Wellington a 2-1 home win over Brisbane | Photo: Richard Wainwright/AAP
Wellington hope a breakthrough comeback 2-1 win over Brisbane shows a new sense of resilience that can deliver a Phoenix resurgence this A-League Men season.
Brisbane striker Justin Vidic netted the opening goal in the 43rd minute and after Wellington forward Ifeanyi Eze was arguably lucky not to be sent off on the hour mark, Kazuki Nagasawa equalised in the 76th.
Wellington peppered the goal from there and recruit Carlo Armiento sent Sky Stadium into ecstasy when he lashed home a wonderful winner in the 96th minute.
Coach Giancarlo Italiano believes new players like Armiento had brought fresh resilience and determination, after last year's 11th-placed finish.
"It's something that we addressed at the beginning of the year," he told Sky Sport.
"And the addition of new players coming in, they weren't sort of tarnished with what happened last season.
"So it made it easier to improve the mindset from day one.
"This group is actually very, very, very cohesive on and off the park, and I think that's a big advantage for me,.
"And I think moments like this are going to just build for the season."
Armiento's strike was his second Phoenix goal against a former club, following his dramatic equaliser when facing Perth last week.
"In the second half you saw it was all us," Armiento told Sky Sport.
"The second one was coming and it was a matter of time
"Luckily I put it into the net. As soon as it left my foot, I knew it was going in."
The Roar haven't won in Wellington since 2017 and suffered their first defeat of the season under new manager Michael Valkanis.
Wellington got off to a bad start when New Zealand international Tim Payne was forced off with a left shoulder/collarbone injury suffered in a challenge with Vidic in the 17th minute.
Brisbane's goal came when James McGarry launched a long ball forward for Vidic, who split the centre-backs then held off Manjrekar James and caressed the ball over onrushing goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi.
Wellington lacked spark in attack and Eze arguably was unlucky to only receive a yellow card for bowling over Youstin Salas behind play.
After Eze's let-off, the Phoenix surged into the game.
Wellington hit back when Brisbane failed to clear a cross and Corban Piper burst onto the ball and squared it for Nagasawa to hammer into the roof of the net.
Armiento repeatedly attacked the Phoenix goal without reward, while Brisbane defender Hosine Bility (leg) was substituted in the 86th.
The Roar defence stood tall until, in the sixth minute of injury time, Piper won the ball and slipped it to Armiento, who rifled home across his body.
Brisbane (win-draw-loss record: 1-0-1) head home to host defending champions Melbourne City on Friday, while the Phoenix (1-1-0) travel to Central Coast next Sunday.
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