Soccer: Phoenix season ended by killer blow

Perth Glory Liam Miller (L) appealing a free kick against Wellington Phoenix Emmanuel Muscat. Photo / Getty Images.

The Wellington Phoenix produced 20 minutes of football as good as they have managed at any time this season but even that was not enough to stop their A-League season spluttering to a stop when they were beaten 3-2 in extra time by Perth Glory at nib Stadium last night.

Even Sonny Bill Williams, sitting in the stands and resplendent in a Phoenix shirt, could not inspire Ricki Herbert's team to produce the killer blow which would have capped a magnificent fightback after another limp first half effort.

Fortunate to be trailing by only a solitary Bas van den Brink goal, his first for the club in more than 2200 minutes of playing time this season, when he pounced on Tony Lochhead's half clearance from a 13th minute corner, at halftime the Phoenix quickly shrugged off any suggestion they would wilt in the warm conditions and under the burden of their long flight in the second 45 minutes.

They came out rejuvenated and needed less than two minutes to square the ledger when Leo Bertos played a ball in from the right, Tim Brown chested it down and Chris Greenacre was on hand to hit it sweet as a nut into the Perth goal.

Seven minutes later the majority of 13,659 fans were stunned when the Phoenix hit the front.

In a clever switch, the ball was played wide right to Manny Muscat without a Perth player in sight. He carved into the edge of the penalty area and promptly let fly with a curler which sneaked in beautifully at the far post. His second goal of the season - indeed only the second of his almost 100-game A-League career.

Chasing a third goal to kill it off, the Phoenix maintained the classy football they had produced after the break only to have that momentum stopped in its tracks when lion-hearted Ben Sigmund went down and immediately signalled a hamstring problem. His night, and season, over. Herbert was forced to reshuffle. The defensive solidity was broken.

But the home side struggled to cash in and, in the 69th minute, had their hearts in their mouths when Paul Ifill was brought down but, for the third time this season, a better than reasonable shout for a penalty against the effervescent Phoenix striker was waved away. The chance for that killer third goal gone.

Twenty minutes from time the pendulum swung back to the home side who cashed in on some hesitant defending to provide Billy Mehmet with the equaliser.

Neither side could find a winner in the remaining minutes. It was not until 23rd, of 30, minute of extra time substitutes Scott Neville and Todd Howarth's fresh legs combined to cash in on some more uncertain defending to conjure the winner which sent the Glory to the east coast for this week's preliminary final and the Phoenix home.

To finish fourth after being written off as an almost basket case this season, was a decent effort. That the Phoenix are the only team to have reached the play-offs for the last three seasons is testimony to the grit and determination of a team lacking a go-to superstar.

The new owners are promising bigger and better next season with suggestions the club will at last have a genuine back-up team playing meaningful matches and giving Herbert the depth he has been without and not just this season.

There will be changes on the playing roster with Tim Brown, now retired, definitely missing. Other players coming off contract might not be offered a return ticket as Herbert, and it must be hoped, sooner rather than later, sorts out who he wants to retain and then go looking for the players he needs to take the club from the top four to a first title. Not something the Australians would relish.

Perth Glory 3 Wellington Phoenix 2