Maroc - WESTSYDNEYFOOTBALL.COM - reports. - 13/Feb 10:42

Kosta Costs Wanderers In Wellington's Crazy Comeback

A bottom of the ladder clash in Parramatta produced a desperate two half struggle between the Western Sydney Wanderers and Wellington Phoenix. Goals to Ryan Fraser and Phillip Cancar in the first half were responded to in the second with Bill Tuiloma & Ifeanyi Eze levelling the game for a grandstand finish, Kosta Barbarouses with a missed chance for a 3-0 scoreline ultimately costing his team two points. The Wanderers opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a route-one goal of little subtlety. Lawrence Thomas started the move bowling the ball out to Dylan Scicluna, he picked it up 20 yards from his own goal, dribbled without challenge and unleashed a long diagonal over halfway where an unmarked Fraser ran onto the ball on the Nix penalty area, took two quick touches then a trademark cut back onto his right. Launching a strike that was heading straight into the far goal-post before a late curl sent around the keeper's fingertips and into the side netting. On the stroke of half-time a comical free kick routine failure ended up with the ball in the back of the net. Starting close enough to the Wellington box that a direct shot at goal would have been a good idea, instead the Wanderers botched a routine involving Fraser standing out on the edge of the pitch. He was forced into dribbling the length of the pitch, hit the ball back to Thomas in goal, and Thomas moved it on to Thurgate and he found Cancar in space on the righ wing. Cancar had too much pace for Carlo Armiento to make up the huge tract of land that Cancar strode onto. Isaac Hughes was happy to let Cancar run toward the box but regretted that decision with Cancar firing a straight but powerful shot that Albert Kelly-Heald spilled backward into his own net. Steven Ugarkovic went into the book with a dreadful challenge from behind minutes into the half, it wasn't close to the ball and he'd already given away a foul seconds after the restart. VAR injected itself into the match on the hour mark. After a collision in the area with Sheridan jumping into Jacob Farrell, the referee Adam Kearsey corrected judged it as a collision between two players with neither having control of the ball and the match continued with WSW on attack in the corner of the Nix half when VAR told Kearsey to stop the match dead and do a review. He maintained his original decision and so VAR cost the Wanderers an attack, but at least it didn't cost a penalty. Barbarouses should have buried the match in the 65th minute, good play from Fraser and bullocking work from Bozhidar Kraev caused the ball to rebound over the defensive line where the Kiwi international contrived to sent it over the bar. Thomas kept the match 2-0 with Eze getting on the end of a Corbin Piper cross that looked certain to be put in the net, only for Thomas to sweep his legs out and push it out for a corner. From the corner the Nix pulled a goal back, Bill Tuiloma sticking out a boot to turn the ball home as it dropped without challenge on the 6 yard box. It should have been 3-0, instead it became 2-2, a foul from Kraev that he was booked for gave the Nix a free kick that was launched into the box, it wasn't cleared and after a near post scramble Eze emerged from the pack to knock it past Thomas. Kraev had to be taken off the field with a concussion sub when he was smashed in the head by one of the Wellington players. The Nix had been time-wasting all game and the fourth official revealed an astonishing 10 minute long stoppage time period. There was a pair of dives from the Nix inside the Wanderers area in the 95th minute, they went up looking for VAR to reward but weren't sent to the spot. The 10 minutes of stoppage time was frantic but with little attacking opportunity beyond Hammond ruining multiple attacks by trying to solo the entire defence. The point gives the Nix a three point buffer from the Wanderers who remain stuck in last place with the Mariners who aren't playing this weekend in 2nd last. The Wanderers next match is against the Central Coast Mariners on Sunday the 22nd of February in Gosford with kick-off at 5pm.