An outrageous second-half strike from Wellington midfielder Alyssa Whinham helped fire the Phoenix to a dominant 3-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers who had goalkeeper Sham Khamis sent off in the 35th minute.
Wanderers keeper Khamis made a string of top saves to keep Wellington at bay in the first half but she was given her marching orders in the 35th minute for violent conduct following a collision with Phoenix forward Olivia Fergusson.
Despite registering 22 shots in the opening stanza it remained goalless at the break but the away side made it 1-0 just seven seconds after the restart; midfielder Whinham scoring a goal of the season contender from 35-metres out.
Defender Alivia Kelly then bagged her first Ninja A-League goal, converting from close range in the 59th minute to make it 2-0.
Substitute Emma Main then rounded out the scoring in the 83rd minute, racing on to Grace Jale’s ball over the top before placing the ball beyond the advancing Segavcic to make it 3-0.
The result moves Wellington up into fourth spot on the ladder with Paul Temple’s side having now won three of their last four games.
Meanwhile defeat for the Wanderers leaves them sat second-last on the ladder in what was Geoff Abrahams’ first game in charge since being announced as the Wanderers’ interim head coach.
The away side started brightly and almost took the lead after just 90-seconds of the contest at Wanderers Football Park as Annalie Longo’s fierce in-swinging corner crashed back off the crossbar.
Phoenix Japanese winger Mebae Tanaka was then denied in the 7th minute when one-on-one with Khamis before the shot-stopper then produced an excellent save from the resulting corner to deny Mackenzie Barry.
Desperate to gain a foothold in the game, the Wanderers players and staff then had a nervous moment as in-form winger Sienna Saveska went down heavily after rolling her ankle in a challenge with Phoenix defender Maya McCutcheon.
With the pressure building, the lively Fergusson was inches away from heading Wellington into the lead but her header from close range cannoned back off the crossbar and away to safety.
The away side were then denied once more, this time in the 27th minute, as a good move resulted in Fergusson drilling a powerful shot straight at the advancing Khamis.
Completely against the run of play the Wanderers then almost snatched the lead in the 33rd minute, however reigning Julie Dolan Medallist Sophie Harding couldn’t convert from a metre out and that missed chance would come back to haunt her side.
Less than a minute after Harding squandered her effort the Wanderers then gave the ball away in midfield and were immediately punished.
Racing on to a pass over the top of the now exposed Western Sydney backline, Fergusson was clattered by the en-rushing Khamis who, having sprinted out of her box, flattened the striker with her shoulder and was subsequently shown a red-card for violent conduct.
Substitute goalkeeper Segavcic then saw Fergusson guide a volley over her bar from close range in the 40th minute before making an excellent save in first-half stoppage time to ensure the Wanderers somehow remained alive at the break despite Wellington having taken 22-shots at goal.
However, despite being level at the break Wellington finally broke the deadlock in the second half and it took them just seven seconds to do so once the referee had blown her whistle.
With Wellington restarting the game the ball quickly found it’s way to Whinham who, having turned away from two Wanderers players, then unleashed a sensational dipping effort from 35-metres out which flew over the head of Segavcic and into the net.
With the Wanderers’ resolve now broken, Wellington set about adding to their tally and they duly did so in the 59th minute.
Taking aim from distance, McCutcheon’s low effort was parried away by Segavcic but Phoenix defender Kelly was quickest to pounce on the loose ball and coolly slotted the ball home to make it 2-0.
Not done there, Wellington then added a third in the 83rd minute as Main sprinted beyond the Wanderers defence to latch on to Jale’s pinpoint pass before slotting the ball beyond Segavcic to make it 3-0.
