Wellington Phoenix cry foul after Brisbane Roar player escapes red card then sets up late equaliser

At Sky Stadium, Wellington: Wellington Phoenix 1 (Marisa van der Meer 26’) Brisbane Roar 1 (Shea Connors 80’). HT: 1-0

Wellington Phoenix have blown a chance to claim their second win of the A-League Women season after conceding a late goal to draw 1-1 with Brisbane Roar.

Adding to their frustration, Phoenix coach Natalie Lawrence did not believe the player who set up Roar’s equaliser should have been on the field when the goal was scored with 10 minutes remaining.

The Phoenix coaching staff were irate when Roar captain Ayesha Norrie was only issued with a yellow card by referee Anna-Marie Keighley for pushing down on the head of a prone Betsy Hassett.

The push was seemingly in retaliation after Hassett brought her down in a challenge on halfway.

“I don’t know what the referee saw there, but if that’s not a red card I don’t know what is,” Lawrence said.

“Once again we leave a little frustrated with some of the officiating.

“I didn’t even realise [Norrie set up the goal] so that really gets to me now. For me, you can’t push somebody’s face against the turf. I don’t know how that is not a red card.”

Lawrence lamented the lack of video technology in the A-League Women after Keighley’s on-field decision was unable to be reviewed, despite pleas from the Phoenix players who caught a replay of the push on the big screen.

In their previous encounter against the Roar, the Phoenix had what they thought was a legitimate match-winner ruled out for offside, although replays were not conclusive either way.

“There’s positives and negatives to VAR that we all see but ultimately those decisions, at least they get looked at,” Lawrence added.

“If the league wants to continue growing and become a destination league, then these things need to be looked at because it does leave you disheartened and frustrated when decisions don’t go your way.”

The Phoenix took an early lead when centre-back Marisa van der Meer rose highest to meet Michaela Foster’s free-kick from deep in the 26th minute.

But the Phoenix let their lead slip when Shea Connors raced onto a ball over the top from Norrie to draw the Roar level in the 80th minute.

The goal was a sucker-punch for the Phoenix, who look destined to finish with the wooden spoon for the second year running.

But they were left to rue some wasteful finishing after making only one of their whopping 20 shots count.

A win over the Roar would have moved the last-place Phoenix within striking distance of Newcastle Jets and set up a potential wooden spoon showdown on March 25.

They remain four points adrift of the Jets with just five games remaining.

“I don’t think we’ve been that dominant in a game in our history, where we’ve had so many chances.

“We fought to the end, we changed shape, they parked the bus, we really went out to win that game.”