Wellington Phoenix rout battling Adelaide United for A-League W finals look-in

Michaela Robertson celebrates with Emma Main and Isabel Cox after scoring a goal during the A-League Women round 16 match between Wellington Phoenix and Adelaide United. Photo / /Getty Images

Wellington remain an outside shot for the A-League Women finals after a 4-0 drubbing of Adelaide United.

Mariana Speckmaier fired the Phoenix to a first-half lead in Wednesday afternoon’s catch-up match, and Kate Taylor doubled their advantage with a 59th-minute volley.

Mickey Robertson and Mickey Foster then made the contest safe by both finishing off counter-attacks, leaving the Reds joint-bottom on 15 points with Canberra United and in danger of the wooden spoon.

Wellington, winners of that unwanted prize in the club’s first two seasons, instead are looking upwards, and possibly, a maiden ALW playoff place.

Paul Temple’s side had less of the ball but carried all of the attacking threat at Porirua Park.

In-form striker Speckmaier scored her 10th goal of the season when Macey Fraser hassled Nanako Sasaki off the ball, allowing the Venezuelan to score from the top of the box.

Speckmaier is now three goals behind golden boot leader Michelle Heyman.

Isabel Hodgson had Adelaide’s best effort on the half-hour mark, saved exceptionally by Rylee Foster in the ‘Nix net.

After a faulty sprinkler caused a longer-than-usual halftime break, Wellington pushed on with Alyssa Whinham striking the post with a mighty volley.

Within minutes, the contest was out of sight. Taylor was in the right spot to lash a volley home from Isabel Cox’s miscontrolled effort.

Wellington’s third was a thing of beauty, with a piece of superb Cox trickery starting a move that saw Main running free to cross for Robertson to tap home.

Robertson then turned provider for an added-time fourth, sending a low cross to the back post where Foster lashed into the net.

The equation for the Phoenix, now eighth with 25 points, to make the finals is simple.

First, they must hope sixth-placed Western Sydney (30 points), slip up when they host second-placed Western United on Saturday.

Then, Wellington must win in Canberra on Sunday.

Those results would open the door for a straight shootout the following Saturday when the Wanderers visit the Kiwi capital.

Also in the race are Newcastle, currently seventh with 27 points, with assignments against Melbourne Victory (H) and Adelaide (A) to close out their campaign.