A-League

Phoenix Reignite Season With Thrilling 2-1 Victory

Published

21 hours ago

04/06/2025

Wellington, NZ — The Wellington Phoenix have finally broken their winless drought in the Isuzu UTE A-League, defeating the Newcastle Jets 2-1 on Sunday afternoon in a tense and thrilling encounter at McDonald Jones Stadium.

A commanding first-half performance saw goals from veteran forward Kosta Barbarouses and Japanese playmaker Kazuki Nagasawa secure a deserved lead. Despite a controversial own goal in the second half that reignited the Jets’ hopes, the Phoenix held firm, thanks in large part to the heroics of goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi.

The victory, Wellington’s first since January, comes as a huge relief to head coach Giancarlo Italiano, who praised his side’s character and defensive grit.

“Sometimes when you’re in those positions you forget how to win,” Italiano admitted post-match. “We were under pressure, but the boys stood tall. Joshy saved us today.”

First-Half Dominance

The Phoenix came out firing. Within the first two minutes, Tim Payne surged down the right and found Barbarouses, whose effort narrowly missed. The early momentum continued as Wellington peppered Ryan Scott’s goal, with the Newcastle keeper pulling off a series of stunning saves to deny Barbarouses, Sam Sutton, and Isaac Hughes.

Barbarouses eventually found the net in the 34th minute, latching onto a clever header from Nagasawa before slotting the ball beyond Scott. Nagasawa doubled the advantage just seven minutes later, finishing off a pinpoint cross from Payne with a tidy finish.

Wellington could have easily gone into the break with a bigger lead, had it not been for some heroic defending from Newcastle, particularly Lachlan Rose’s goal-line clearance.

Second-Half Storm and Controversy

The Jets emerged a different side after halftime, injecting fresh legs and intensity. Charles M’Mombwa and Clayton Taylor both went close early in the half, but it was a contentious moment that brought the hosts back into the game.

In the 65th minute, Oluwayemi appeared to be fouled in an aerial challenge before the ball spilled into his own net. The referee allowed the goal to stand, and to the disbelief of the Phoenix bench, VAR didn’t intervene.

Still, Oluwayemi refused to let that moment define his performance. The young keeper made multiple key saves, including a stinging stop from Callum Timmins and a miraculous last-gasp block from Wellissol’s point-blank header in the 97th minute.

Squad Notes

Italiano made three changes to his side, with captain Alex Rufer and fit-again defenders Scott Wootton and Isaac Hughes returning to the starting lineup. Paulo Retre also made his return to the bench.

The win boosts Wellington to their sixth of the season, with momentum now building ahead of their crucial clash at home against Melbourne Victory in a semi-final rematch at Sky Stadium.