The Wellington Phoenix suffered a frustrating 2-3 defeat to Melbourne Victory at Sky Stadium on Waitangi Day, with defensive mistakes and a controversial VAR decision proving decisive in a match that leaves the Nix sitting 10th on the A-League table, four points outside the top six with 10 games remaining.
Head coach Giancarlo Italiano said parts of his side’s performance were strong but described key defensive moments leading to Victory’s second and third goals as inexcusable and preventable, pointing to lapses in basic box defending and decision making. Wellington pushed hard throughout the match, equalising through Carlo Armiento late in the first half and creating several attacking chances, but momentum was halted when a penalty initially awarded to Armiento was overturned following a lengthy VAR review, a call Italiano said he struggled to understand given what he believed was clear contact.
Melbourne Victory capitalised on their opportunities, while the Phoenix were left chasing the game despite a late own goal from Victory and strong goalkeeping from Alby Kelly-Heald to keep the deficit at one. Wellington now turn their focus to next week’s away clash with Western Sydney Wanderers, where Sarpreet Singh could be in line for a long-awaited return.
