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Nix women prove a point in first game

Phillip Rollo

First game, first point.

Wellington Phoenix made an impressive start to life in the A-League Women, holding Western Sydney Wanderers to a 0-0 draw in their inaugural game last night.

Coach Gemma Lewis promised an aggressive style of play, and the Phoenix certainly lived up to that, putting the Wanderers under all sorts of pressure with their high workrate on defence at WIN Stadium in Wollongong.

Wanderers started and finished the stronger of the two teams – Sheridan Gallagher even hit the crossbar after carving through midfield early on – but the Phoenix were equal to the challenge.

They faded towards the end but vice-captain Kate Taylor was satisfied to walk away with a draw after proving they belong at A-League Women level.

"We’ll take the 0-0 draw,” Taylor told Sky Sport. “We were all buzzing out there after the first half and we had to work hard in the first moments of the second half and after we got through that it was just holding on at the end.’’

Grace Wisnewski had three

headers on target while Chloe Knott was left to rue a rushed effort after turning the ball over high up the pitch but shooting wide.

Lewis named an inexperienced starting XI with an average age of only 20 that lined up in a 4-3-3 formation with Football Fern Grace Jale leading the line flanked by wingers Jordan Jasnos and Ava Pritchard.

Wisnewski, Knott and Isabel Gomez formed a midfield trio with Taylor and Mackenzie Barry starting in the heart of defence in between Saskia Vosper and Zoe McMeeken, who impressed with her surging runs down the right.

Captain Lily Alfeld started in goal and was rarely tested by the Wanderers, making only three saves, including one from a long-range freekick.

The Phoenix were dealt a blow on the eve of kickoff with Kelli Brown ruled out with an ankle injury while the start of the game was delayed 15 minutes due to lightning strikes in the area.

There were massive smiles on the players faces as they walked onto WIN Stadium for their A-League Women debut, and the smiles returned on fulltime as they Phoenix claimed a richly deserved first competition point.

‘‘We really worked hard,” Taylor said. “All the girls started getting cramp at the end as I’m sure lots of people saw. It just went through the whole team – even the subs that came on, we were all working hard, the

people on the bench. It took the whole effort to get the draw.’’

Sport

en-nz

2021-12-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/282759179953574

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