Barbarouses strike seals Wellington’s A-League Men win
A late Kosta Barbarouses goal has helped Wellington Phoenix stun Melbourne Victory with a 1-0 win at the A-League Men’s (ALM) Unite Round and exact revenge for last season’s semi-final heartbreak.
Making matters worse for the Victory on Sunday afternoon, injury-plagued former Socceroo Daniel Arzani left the side’s first loss of the season at Allianz Stadium with a hamstring issue.
The Melburnians looked the more threatening in attack all afternoon, narrowly missing a handful of chances before Barbarouses broke the deadlock in the 81st minute.
Booed by Melbourne fans throughout, the former Victory forward had appearedWellington’s likeliest scorer and made good on a pass from Marco Rojas.
Barbarouses poked a left-footed strike past goalkeeper Jack Duncan from just inside the box and is now only four goals away from reaching 100 in the ALM.
The Phoenix celebrated before a jubilant, and surprisingly healthy, contingent of Wellington fans in the northern stand.
Victory had the chance to equalise from a free kick just outside the box in the final minutes of regulation time.
But goalkeeper Joe Oluwayemi, superb all afternoon, batted Bruno Fornaroli’s strike away after the former Socceroo came on late as Patrick Kisnorbo’s last roll of the dice.
Victory fans were incensed when they were denied a penalty in the second half after Arzani fell in a challenge from Corban Piper and Hideki Ishige in the box.
Arzani was substituted out of his first start of the season shortly after the no-call, appearing to have extended his left hamstring contesting the ball.
The 25-year-old, whose career has been interrupted by injury struggles, seemed in good spirits as he gave a thumbs up to the crowd limping from the pitch.
The win consolidates Wellington’s spot inside the top six and comes after eventual runners-up Melbourne Victory knocked the Phoenix out of championship contention last season.
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