The Wellington Phoenix Women’s team delivered a commanding 3-0 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney, propelling them into fourth place in the A-League standings.
The Phoenix showcased their best performance of the season, with goals from Alyssa Whinham, Alivia Kelly, and Emma Main securing the crucial win. Whinham opened the scoring with a spectacular long-range strike, while Kelly’s maiden A-League goal and Main’s second of the campaign sealed the team’s rise in the rankings.
Western Sydney played most of the match a player down after goalkeeper Shamiran Khamis received a red card in the 34th minute. However, the Phoenix dominated from the outset, taking an impressive 42 shots at goal compared to the hosts’ four.
Head coach Paul Temple praised his squad for their clinical performance, describing it as possibly the best since he took charge.
“It was a really good performance,” Temple said post-match. “I thought we moved the ball really well and created countless opportunities to get in and around their box and take shots. We looked dangerous.”
Despite the Wanderers’ sending off altering the dynamics, Temple believed his team was already in control before the red card.
“We were looking confident and more likely to score even before the sending off,” he noted. “We handled the pressure well, and in the end, it was a pretty clinical display.”
Temple made only one change to the starting lineup that secured a 2-0 home win over Perth Glory, bringing American defender Alivia Kelly into the fold in place of Zoe McMeeken.
The Phoenix will remain in Australia as they prepare to face Adelaide United on Sunday evening.