Eric Bautheac of Brisbane tackles Ali Abbas of the Phoenix during the round four A-League match between the Wellington Phoenix and the Brisbane Roar. Photo / Getty Images
Eric Bautheac of Brisbane tackles Ali Abbas of the Phoenix during the round four A-League match between the Wellington Phoenix and the Brisbane Roar. Photo / Getty Images
Any thoughts of a new era at the Phoenix proved unfounded as the Wellington club produced one of their classic collapses last night.
After racing to the second-quickest 3-0 lead in A-League history, the Phoenix were run down by the Brisbane Roar and forced to settle for a 3-3 draw.
After encouraging displays in one-goal defeats away to champions Sydney FC and leaders Melbourne City, hopes were high Wellington could earn a first win of the season under new coach Darije Kalezic against the bottom-placed Roar.
Optimism increased as the Nix took the lead after just 61 seconds when Andrija Kaluderovic looped in a header from a Dario Vidosic cross and then soared with two more goals within three minutes.
Roy Krishna blasted the second from 30m out and then put a great cross in behind the defence for Kaluderovic to tap in the third.
But a goal from Massimo Maccarone just before the break gave Brisbane hope that the result was not a foregone conclusion. Jack Hingert stormed down the right, Brett Holman's header from the cross forced a reflex save from teenage keeper Keegan Smith, only for Maccarone to punch home on the follow-up.
A Fahid Ben Khalfallah free kick in the 62nd minute forced a weak parry from Smith on his near post, with Avram Papadopoulos slotting home and suddenly the Phoenix were teetering. Maccarone levelled the scores with an 82nd-minute penalty after Nix midfielder Matthew Ridenton brought down Papadopoulos in the box. Smith's attempts to put off Maccarone, a former English Premier League and Serie A player old enough to be his father, backfired and the 38-year-old Italian wasn't shy about letting him know.
