{"id":325051,"date":"2025-04-13T19:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-13T07:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/?p=325051"},"modified":"2025-04-13T20:09:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T08:09:10","slug":"ninja-a-league-round-22-match-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/news\/ninja-a-league-round-22-match-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Ninja A-League Round 22 Match Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Wellington Phoenix are \u201cpretty crestfallen\u201d after their Ninja A-League finals hopes ended in Canberra for the second straight year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Canberra United have beaten the Phoenix 1-0 in their decisive match at McKellar Park to secure the sixth and final playoff berth.<br><br>The result leaves the Nix ninth on the ladder and seven points outside the top six with a round to play.<br><br>Phoenix head coach Paul Temple summed up the mood within the team shortly after the final whistle.<br><br>\u201cI think everyone is pretty crestfallen by it, as you can imagine,\u201d Temple said post-match. \u201cIt\u2019s not a nice feeling.<br><br>\u201cYou\u2019re always hopeful you can find a way to win and take it down to that last game next week, but it isn\u2019t to be.<br><br>\u201cEveryone is feeling pretty down\u2026but I\u2019m proud of the effort they put in. They put so much into the game, you could see that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Match Highlights | Canberra United v Wellington Phoenix\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sifSPiwan4E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It was Wellington\u2019s 10<sup>th<\/sup> one goal defeat of the campaign and Temple felt the match summed up their season.<br><br>\u201cWe had a lot of the ball, we played some good stuff at times but never really created those cutting-edge opportunities that we could put away.<br><br>\u201cThe story of the season is that we\u2019ve competed very well. I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve been outclassed by any of these teams we\u2019re competing with at all. We\u2019re very much in games. Almost every game this season there\u2019s one goal in it.<br><br>\u201cThe biggest factor as to why we\u2019re not playing finals football is we haven\u2019t scored enough goals, and we haven\u2019t managed the big moments well enough and ultimately that\u2019s come back to cost us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"325057\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/news\/ninja-a-league-round-22-match-review\/a-league-women-rd-22-canberra-united-fc-v-wellington-phoenix-4\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000864.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"3000,2046\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Getty Images&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS-1D X Mark III&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 13: Michelle Heyman of Canberra United in action during the round 22 A-League Women&#039;s match between Canberra United and Wellington Phoenix at McKellar Park, on April 13, 2025, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\\\/Getty Images)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1744558308&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;2025 Getty Images&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;320&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.000625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;A-League Women Rd 22 - Canberra United FC v Wellington Phoenix&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"A-League Women Rd 22 &#8211; Canberra United FC v Wellington Phoenix\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA &#8211; APRIL 13: Michelle Heyman of Canberra United in action during the round 22 A-League Women&#8217;s match between Canberra United and Wellington Phoenix at McKellar Park, on April 13, 2025, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\/Getty Images)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000864.jpg?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000864.jpg?w=1200\" height=\"818\" width=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000864.jpg?w=1200\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-325057\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000864.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000864.jpg?resize=300,205 300w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000864.jpg?resize=768,524 768w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000864.jpg?resize=1200,818 1200w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000864.jpg?resize=1536,1048 1536w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000864.jpg?resize=2048,1397 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA &#8211; APRIL 13: Michelle Heyman of Canberra United and Phoenix midfielder Maya McCutcheon contest possession during the round 22 A-League Women&#8217;s match between Canberra United and Wellington Phoenix at McKellar Park, on April 13, 2025, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The big moment at McKellar Park came midway through the first half when Canberra scored what turned out to be the match-winner.<br><br>\u201cWe made a big mistake which led to the corner. And then we didn\u2019t do our job on the corner and we conceded a soft goal.<br><br>\u201cWe just got it all wrong. It was a catalogue of errors really straight after the error that led to the corner itself.<br><br>\u201cIt was a 30 second period of the game that we didn\u2019t manage very well at all.<br><br>\u201cThose moments are the big things and we haven\u2019t been good at managing those moments and we\u2019re not capitalising on them when they come our way, and ultimately that\u2019s the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"325056\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/news\/ninja-a-league-round-22-match-review\/a-league-women-rd-22-canberra-united-fc-v-wellington-phoenix-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2209997351.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"3000,2094\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Getty Images&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS-1D X Mark III&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 13: Phoenix players warm up before the round 22 A-League Women&#039;s match between Canberra United and Wellington Phoenix at McKellar Park, on April 13, 2025, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\\\/Getty Images)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1744555125&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;2025 Getty Images&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.000625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;A-League Women Rd 22 - Canberra United FC v Wellington Phoenix&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"A-League Women Rd 22 &#8211; Canberra United FC v Wellington Phoenix\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA &#8211; APRIL 13: Phoenix players warm up before the round 22 A-League Women&#8217;s match between Canberra United and Wellington Phoenix at McKellar Park, on April 13, 2025, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\/Getty Images)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2209997351.jpg?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2209997351.jpg?w=1200\" height=\"838\" width=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2209997351.jpg?w=1200\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-325056\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2209997351.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2209997351.jpg?resize=300,209 300w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2209997351.jpg?resize=768,536 768w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2209997351.jpg?resize=1200,838 1200w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2209997351.jpg?resize=1536,1072 1536w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2209997351.jpg?resize=2048,1430 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA &#8211; APRIL 13: Phoenix players warm up before the round 22 A-League Women&#8217;s match between Canberra United and Wellington Phoenix at McKellar Park, on April 13, 2025, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Paul Temple made just one change to the XI which started their defeat to Melbourne City before the international break with midfielder Daisy Brazendale replacing American defender Alivia Kelly, who moved to the bench. Attacking midfielder Liv Ingham was also brought on to the substitutes bench in place of fullback Zoe McMeeken.<br><br>Canberra had the first shot at goal just over 60 seconds into the match, but a big block from Phoenix centre back Mackenzie Barry snuffed out the opportunity.<br><br>The Nix came close to opening the scoring half a dozen minutes later when a looping free kick from captain Annalie Longo landed on the crossbar.<br><br>Wellington had two shots in quick succession in the 20<sup>th<\/sup> minute but neither was able to test Sally James in Canberra\u2019s goal.<br><br>Phoenix goalkeeper Carolina Vil\u00e3o made a great save down the other end shortly after to deny Michelle Heyman in her 200<sup>th<\/sup> A-League match after Heyman pounced on an overhit back pass and ran through on goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"325058\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/news\/ninja-a-league-round-22-match-review\/a-league-women-rd-22-canberra-united-fc-v-wellington-phoenix-5\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210001347.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"3000,2062\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Getty Images&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS-1D X Mark III&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 13: Carolina Vilao of the Phoenix makes a save during the round 22 A-League Women&#039;s match between Canberra United and Wellington Phoenix at McKellar Park, on April 13, 2025, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\\\/Getty Images)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1744558722&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;2025 Getty Images&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;260&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;800&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0008&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;A-League Women Rd 22 - Canberra United FC v Wellington Phoenix&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"A-League Women Rd 22 &#8211; Canberra United FC v Wellington Phoenix\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA &#8211; APRIL 13: Carolina Vilao of the Phoenix makes a save during the round 22 A-League Women&#8217;s match between Canberra United and Wellington Phoenix at McKellar Park, on April 13, 2025, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\/Getty Images)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210001347.jpg?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210001347.jpg?w=1200\" height=\"825\" width=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210001347.jpg?w=1200\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-325058\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210001347.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210001347.jpg?resize=300,206 300w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210001347.jpg?resize=768,528 768w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210001347.jpg?resize=1200,825 1200w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210001347.jpg?resize=1536,1056 1536w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210001347.jpg?resize=2048,1408 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA &#8211; APRIL 13: Carolina Vilao of the Phoenix makes a save during the round 22 A-League Women&#8217;s match between Canberra United and Wellington Phoenix at McKellar Park, on April 13, 2025, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately for Vil\u00e3o, Canberra took the lead from the resulting corner with American defender Madison Ayson tapping home at the back post after the Nix were unable to clear the initial left-wing delivery.<br><br>Wellington continued to dominate possession after falling behind but struggled to create any clear-cut opportunities before halftime.<br><br>They were given a let-off deep in first half stoppage time. Vil\u00e3o made a sharp save to deny Aideen Keane but the ball feel to Heyman who inexplicably shot wide from a couple of yards out.<br><br>The Matildas forward almost made amends seconds into the second half when she was picked out by Maja Markovski, but her volley sailed over the bar.<br><br>Vil\u00e3o kept the Phoenix in the game four minutes later when she made a great reflex save to keep out a powerful volley from Ayson, who got on the end of a long-range free kick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"325061\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/news\/ninja-a-league-round-22-match-review\/a-league-women-rd-22-canberra-united-fc-v-wellington-phoenix-8\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210004898.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"3000,2064\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Getty Images&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS-1D X Mark III&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 13: Mackenzie Barry of the Phoenix and Michelle Heyman of Canberra United contests possession during the round 22 A-League Women&#039;s match between Canberra United and Wellington Phoenix at McKellar Park, on April 13, 2025, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\\\/Getty Images)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1744561756&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;2025 Getty Images&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;250&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1000&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.000625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;A-League Women Rd 22 - Canberra United FC v Wellington Phoenix&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"A-League Women Rd 22 &#8211; Canberra United FC v Wellington Phoenix\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA &#8211; APRIL 13: Mackenzie Barry of the Phoenix and Michelle Heyman of Canberra United contests possession during the round 22 A-League Women&#8217;s match between Canberra United and Wellington Phoenix at McKellar Park, on April 13, 2025, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\/Getty Images)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210004898.jpg?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210004898.jpg?w=1200\" height=\"826\" width=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210004898.jpg?w=1200\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-325061\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210004898.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210004898.jpg?resize=300,206 300w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210004898.jpg?resize=768,528 768w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210004898.jpg?resize=1200,826 1200w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210004898.jpg?resize=1536,1057 1536w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210004898.jpg?resize=2048,1409 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA &#8211; APRIL 13: Mackenzie Barry of the Phoenix and Michelle Heyman of Canberra United contests possession during the round 22 A-League Women&#8217;s match between Canberra United and Wellington Phoenix at McKellar Park, on April 13, 2025, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The save seemed to inspire the Nix, who had their best spell of the match for the next half a dozen minutes.<br><br>James made two fine saves to deny Olivia Fergusson, who got on the end of threatening crosses from first Lara Wall and then Manaia Elliott.<br><br>Fergusson also struck the right-hand post with a header in between her two goal-bound shots, but the flag was eventually raised by the assistant referee so it wouldn\u2019t have counted if it was on target.<br><br>Wellington continued to press for an equaliser for the remaining half an hour plus stoppage time, but were unfortunately unable to threaten James\u2019 goal.<br><br>Grace Jale came closest. She shot straight at Canberra\u2019s goalkeeper from a free kick in the 64<sup>th<\/sup> minute, dragged a long-range effort wide of goal soon after and headed a right-wing corner into the ground and then into James\u2019 arms with 10 minutes remaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"325060\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/news\/ninja-a-league-round-22-match-review\/a-league-women-rd-22-canberra-united-fc-v-wellington-phoenix-7\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000901.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"3000,2018\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Getty Images&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS-1D X Mark III&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 13: Grace Jale of the Phoenix in action during the round 22 A-League Women&#039;s match between Canberra United and Wellington Phoenix at McKellar Park, on April 13, 2025, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\\\/Getty Images)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1744556479&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;2025 Getty Images&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;320&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.000625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;A-League Women Rd 22 - Canberra United FC v Wellington Phoenix&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"A-League Women Rd 22 &#8211; Canberra United FC v Wellington Phoenix\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA &#8211; APRIL 13: Grace Jale of the Phoenix in action during the round 22 A-League Women&#8217;s match between Canberra United and Wellington Phoenix at McKellar Park, on April 13, 2025, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\/Getty Images)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000901.jpg?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000901.jpg?w=1200\" height=\"807\" width=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000901.jpg?w=1200\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-325060\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000901.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000901.jpg?resize=300,202 300w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000901.jpg?resize=768,517 768w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000901.jpg?resize=1200,807 1200w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000901.jpg?resize=1536,1033 1536w, https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2210000901.jpg?resize=2048,1378 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA &#8211; APRIL 13: Grace Jale of the Phoenix in action during the round 22 A-League Women&#8217;s match between Canberra United and Wellington Phoenix at McKellar Park, on April 13, 2025, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Forward Emma Main ensured the hosts didn\u2019t double their lead in the 85<sup>th<\/sup> minute when she produced an incredible goal-line clearance to prevent Canberra scoring direct from another left-wing corner.<br><br>The Phoenix had a chance to secure a draw with the last kick of the game but Barry\u2019s snap shot from a long ball forward was again comfortably saved by James.<br><br>Canberra United celebrated securing their place in the finals while the Phoenix were downcast after being ruled out of finals contention with a round to play.<br><br>The Wellington Phoenix will finish their season at Porirua Park on Easter Sunday against finals-bound Western United.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"match-card-embed-root\" class=\"match-card-embed block-match-card-embed block_16033b78462f90adfcdd6977a76cdd5e\" data-competition=\"9p3nnxhdjahfn8qswpzy8oyc3\" data-club=\"7213z0g9qz2msv8wbbi1xpzpw\" data-match=\"f1btqrxjospftas95fqfmb66s\" data-position=\"14\"><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Wellington Phoenix:\u00a0<\/strong>39. Carolina VIL\u00c3O (gk), 3. Tiana JABER (5. Alivia KELLY 68<sup>th<\/sup>), 4. Mackenzie BARRY, 6. Maya MCCUTCHEON (19. Liv INGHAM 89<sup>th<\/sup>), 7. Grace JALE, 9. Olivia FERGUSSON (14. Mebae TANAKA 81<sup>st<\/sup>), 11. Manaia ELLIOTT, 15. Daisy BRAZENDALE (10. Alyssa WHINHAM 68<sup>th<\/sup>), 16. Annalie LONGO (c), 20. Emma MAIN, 21. Lara WALL.<br>Unused substitutes: 13. Brooke NEARY (gk).<br><br><strong>Canberra United:<\/strong> 1. Sally JAMES (gk), 5. Madison AYSON, 10. Mary STANIC-FLOODY (4. Holly MURRAY 70<sup>th<\/sup>), 11. Emma ROBERS (9. Ruby NATHAN 90+3), 12. Hayley TAYLOR-YOUNG, 13. Sofia CHRISTOPHERSON, 17. Maja MARKOVSKI (2. Alex MCKENZIE 70<sup>th<\/sup>), 21. Aideen KEANE, 23. Michelle HEYMAN (c) (7. Jynaya DOS SANTOS 90+6), 25. Darcey MALONE, 32. Bethany GORDON.<br>Unused substitutes: 18. Coco MAJSTOROVIC (gk).<br><br><strong>Goals:<br><\/strong>5. Madison AYSON (Canberra United) \u2013 25<sup>th<\/sup><br><br><strong>Cards:<br><\/strong>2. Alex MCKENZIE (Canberra United) \u2013 yellow \u2013 82<sup>nd<br><\/sup>5. Alivia KELLY (Wellington Phoenix) \u2013 yellow \u2013 86<sup>th<br><\/sup>7. Jynaya DOS SANTOS (Canberra United) \u2013 yellow \u2013 90+7<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":254,"featured_media":325054,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[329,330,338,343,355],"tags":[],"competition":[],"acf":{"match_card_embed_league":5096,"match_card_embed_club":null,"match_card_embed_match":"322468","match_card_embed_disable":false,"auto_publish_updates":true,"reference_article":null,"article_featured_video":"","article_featured_video_tagline":"","article_byline":"","article_media_type":"news","article_video":"","gallery":"","shared_ffa_source":"keepup","shared_hide_in_app":false,"article_player":"","article_team":"","article_competition":"","article_match":"","credit":"","related_articles":"","push_to_social":false,"priority":1,"sport":false,"language":"en","private_content":false,"access_level":"","article_id":"","app_featured_image":null,"article_content_group":"news"},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/news\/ninja-a-league-round-22-match-review\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Ninja A-League Round 22 Match Review","url":"http:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/news\/ninja-a-league-round-22-match-review\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/news\/ninja-a-league-round-22-match-review\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2209999991.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2209999991.jpg"},"articleSection":"Breaking News","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"brenton"}],"creator":["brenton"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wellington Phoenix","logo":"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2022\/04\/cropped-Wellington_Phoenix_FC_logo-2.png"},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2025-04-13T07:30:00Z","datePublished":"2025-04-13T07:30:00Z","dateModified":"2025-04-13T08:09:10Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"Ninja A-League Round 22 Match Review\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/wellingtonphoenix.com\\\/news\\\/ninja-a-league-round-22-match-review\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/wellingtonphoenix.com\\\/news\\\/ninja-a-league-round-22-match-review\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wellingtonphoenix.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/GettyImages-2209999991.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wellingtonphoenix.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/GettyImages-2209999991.jpg\"},\"articleSection\":\"Breaking News\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"brenton\"}],\"creator\":[\"brenton\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Wellington Phoenix\",\"logo\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wellingtonphoenix.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/cropped-Wellington_Phoenix_FC_logo-2.png\"},\"keywords\":[],\"dateCreated\":\"2025-04-13T07:30:00Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-13T07:30:00Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-13T08:09:10Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/p.js"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2209999991.jpg?w=1080&h=1080&quality=75","image":{"sizes":{"full":{"url":"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2209999991.jpg","width":1024,"height":684,"caption":"CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 13: Madison Ayson of Canberra United celebrates scoring a goal with team mates during the round 22 A-League Women's match between Canberra United and Wellington Phoenix at McKellar Park, on April 13, 2025, in Canberra, Australia. 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