Wellington Phoenix Show Resilience to Earn Draw Against Sydney FC

Barbarouses Strikes as Phoenix End Four-Game Losing Run

The Wellington Phoenix ended their four-match losing streak with a determined 1-1 draw against Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium. Kosta Barbarouses netted his 101st A-League goal to cancel out an early strike from Adrian Segecic, ensuring the Nix returned home with a valuable point.

Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano expressed his pride in the team’s performance, emphasizing their resilience despite recent struggles.

“There’s no hiding the fact we’ve been going through a rough trot, and group morale is down, but the boys gave me everything today,” Italiano said post-match.

“I’m extremely proud. It was easy to give up after going 1-0 down. I’m disappointed we didn’t win because we had some great moments to capitalize, but this result will go a long way in getting us back on track.”

Match Recap: A Tale of Two Halves

Sydney FC struck early, with Joe Lolley threading a precise through ball for Adrian Segecic, who calmly finished past Josh Oluwayemi in the seventh minute. The Sky Blues controlled possession in the first half but struggled to break down a compact Phoenix defense.

Wellington responded well, increasing their press and forcing errors from Sydney’s backline. Barbarouses had an audacious long-range attempt midway through the first half before getting on the scoresheet in the 38th minute. A perfectly timed pass from Chico Geraldes found the veteran striker, who rounded Sydney goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares to slot home. Initially ruled offside, the goal was awarded following VAR review.

Second-Half Battle and Late Drama

The second half mirrored the first, with Sydney dominating possession but failing to find a breakthrough. Phoenix’s counter-attacking duo of Barbarouses and Geraldes remained a constant threat.

Brazilian star Douglas Costa, coming on at halftime, had a speculative shot from near the touchline saved comfortably by Oluwayemi in the 66th minute. Moments later, Geraldes fired just over the bar in another near-miss for Wellington.

As Sydney pushed for a late winner, Oluwayemi stepped up with crucial saves to deny substitute Jaiden Kucharski twice in the final 15 minutes. The Nix nearly snatched victory in stoppage time when Sydney’s desperate defense blocked Alex Rufer’s last-ditch effort.

Looking Ahead: A Crucial Home Clash

With the international break providing a brief respite, Italiano is focused on using this result to rebuild confidence within the squad.

“We’re going to be at home next, and I want to get a win for our fans. They deserve it, and it doesn’t matter how we win,” Italiano stated.

The Phoenix now turn their attention to their next challenge against Western Sydney Wanderers at Sky Stadium on March 29.

Match Details:
Wellington Phoenix: Josh Oluwayemi (gk), Scott Wootton, Tim Payne, Kosta Barbarouses, Paulo Retre (Kazuki Nagasawa 80’), Francisco Geraldes (Hideki Ishige 80’), Alex Rufer (c), Isaac Hughes (Corban Piper 72’), Lukas Kelly-Heald, Sam Sutton, Matthew Sheridan.
Unused Substitutes: Dublin Boon (gk), Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues, Luke Brooke-Smith, Nathan Walker.

Sydney FC: Harrison Devenish-Meares (gk), Jordan Courtney-Perkins, Alex Grant, Corey Hollman (Wataru Kamijo 46’), Adrian Segecic (Douglas Costa 46’), Patryk Klimala (Jaiden Kucharski 69’), Joe Lolley (Tiago Quintal 69’), Leo Seno, Joel King, Anthony Caceres, Rhyan Grant (c).
Unused Substitutes: Gus Hoesfloot (gk), Jaushua Sotirio, Will Kennedy.

Goals:

• 7’ Adrian Segecic (Sydney FC)
• 38’ Kosta Barbarouses (Wellington Phoenix)

Yellow Cards:

• 82’ Kosta Barbarouses (Wellington Phoenix)
• 82’ Alex Rufer (Wellington Phoenix)
• 82’ Rhyan Grant (Sydney FC)
• 90+5’ Corban Piper (Wellington Phoenix)