Wellington Phoenix player Kazuki Nagasawa, right, is challenged by Hosine Bility of the Brisbane Roar during the men's A-League match at Sky Stadium, Wellington, 6 February 2025. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Wellington Phoenix players thought they should have been awarded a penalty, but in the end had to settle with a 1-all draw with bottom-placed Brisbane Roar in their men's A-League fixture at Sky Stadium, Wellington, on Waitangi Day.
The result left them in tenth place on the ladder, but an opportunity to gain three competition points and remain in decent contact with the top six was squandered by an indifferent performance.
Their fans booed when they were denied a penalty late in the first half as the players insisted there had been a foul on attacking forward Hideki Ishige, who had earlier been denied a goal by a VAR decision that he was offside when he slotted one into the back of the net.
That decision was confirmed by television replays, but the penalty decision by referee Jack Morgan after looking at the second incident from the sideline replays was controversial.
Ishige was on attack in the penalty area when he was contacted by Roar defender Walid Shour.
Morgan ruled there was contact but no foul and therefore no penalty.
Roar captain Jay O'Shea agreed with that ruling, saying after the match that Shour had tried to pull his leg away.
But Phoenix skipper Scott Wootton had no doubt it should have been a penalty, saying Shour had been beaten by Hideki and then tried to tackle him.
"There is clear contact." he told Sky Sport.
"The referee...has deemed it not an obvious mistake but to me it is an actual stonewall (beyond argument) penalty.
However, he said the Phoenix performance was disappointing. "We need to look at ourselves, We need to be better."
Isaac Hughes, second from right, celebrates after scoring a goal for the Wellington Phoenix against Brisbane Roar during the A-League men's match at Sky Stadium, Wellington, 6 Feb, 2025. Photo: Photosport
With the score nil-all at halftime, the Phoenix took the lead in the 61st minute, when centre back Isaac Hughes headed in his first A-League goal as he latched on to a superb corner kick from Ishige.
Roar forward Henry Hore levelled things up in the 71st minute, and though the Phoenix attacked strongly in the dying stages of stoppage time they could not break the deadlock.
The big plus for them was All Whites fullback Tim Payne returning to action after a month out with an ankle injury.
The Phoenix head to Melbourne to take on third-placed Melbourne Victory on Friday week.
