Wellington Phoenix coach Paul Temple was seething after Sydney FC scored from their only two shots on target to beat the Nix 2-1 at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney.
They scored the match-winner in the eighth minute of time added on, nearly quarter of an hour after the Nix had been reduced to 10 players when defender Tiana Jaber received a second yellow card.
“It feels like a massive injustice,” Temple said post-match. “We deserved to win the game.
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“We at least deserved to get away with a point with what we put into it. It feels like we’ve been robbed really.
“So much to be proud of in terms of what the team did and how we played and how we had to wrestle through different parts of the game.
“And also so much frustration and disappointment with how we handled the last five minutes of the game when we should have consolidated our point and taken it away.
“We just didn’t defend very well at all really when we had 10 players. The structure went a bit out the window."
The defeat leaves the Phoenix eighth on the ladder and two points outside the top six with four matches remaining.
The same XI which started last Sunday’s come-from-behind win over Western Sydney Wanderers. There was one change on the bench with fit-again forward Grace Jale returning in place of versatile midfielder Amelia Abbott. Jaber was named to make her 50th A-League appearance.
The Phoenix made a bright start, dominating possession for the opening quarter of an hour.
Rookie Sydney ‘keeper Jasmine Black made two impressive saves in the first five minutes to deny right and left-footed shots from Manaia Elliott
Wellington goalkeeper Carolina Vilão was only required to use her feet in the opening exchanges. She was quick off her line in the 14th minute to deny the Sky Blues their first shot at goal when forward Mackenzie Hawkesby slipped in behind the Nix defence.
Sydney made it tougher for the Phoenix to get into the final third after the first cooling break and had their first shot in the 28th minute blocked by Alivia Kelly.
The Nix pushed for the breakthough in the final 15 minutes of the first half.
Alyssa Whinham had a shot from the edge of the box well saved by Black but deep in first half stoppage time the home team took the lead with their first shot on target when Madeleine Caspers cut into the box and squeezed a shot past Vilão.
The Phoenix struggled to create anything before the first cooling break of the second half and Temple responded by making a double substitution, bringing on Zoe McMeeken and Jale in place of Daisy Brazendale and Whinham. It allowed Maya McCutcheon to move into midfield.
The changes had their desired effect with the subs bringing more energy to Wellington’s performance.
The Nix got their reward five minutes later when Annalie Longo drove out of midfield and slipped through a pass to Manaia Elliott, who this time beat Black.
The Phoenix pushed for the match-winner after drawing level, but their task was made more difficult when Jaber was sent off in the 85th minute after receiving a second yellow card.
Despite going down to 10 players Wellington looked the most likely to score a second.
McCutcheon chipped a near post corner narrowly over the bar in the first minute of stoppage time and Black did well to save a classy turn and shot from Main moments later.
The young ‘keeper also managed to punch clear a threatening corner and then follow-up cross from Longo.
Substitute Princess Ibini then won it for Sydney in the eighth minute of time added on when she curled a shot around Vilão after the Sky Blues caught the 10-player Nix on the break.
The Wellington Phoenix will return home to turn their attentions to next Saturday’s match against Central Coast Mariners at Porirua Park..