Wellington Phoenix FC claimed a 2–1 home win over Western Sydney Wanderers FC on Matchday 25 of the A-League regular season, with Kazuki Nagasawa delivering the decisive goal early in the second half.
The hosts struck first on 16 minutes. Ifeanyi Eze finished off a move created down the right, converting after a pass from Tim Payne to give Wellington an early 1–0 advantage.
Western Sydney responded before the interval. In the 41st minute, Brandon Borrello levelled the match at 1–1, finding the net after being set up by Angus Thurgate. The goal sent the teams into the break on equal terms.
Wellington regained control shortly after half-time. In the 56th minute, Nagasawa restored the lead with what proved to be the winner, again with Payne providing the assist. The midfielder’s second assist of the afternoon pushed Phoenix 2–1 ahead and ultimately decided the contest.
The match featured limited disciplinary action, with Wellington captain Alex Rufer shown a yellow card in the 38th minute. Both coaches turned to their benches in the second half: Western Sydney introduced Atiya Waraga for Jai Rose on 59 minutes and later brought on Hiroshi Ibusuki for Steven Ugarkovic in the 78th minute, while Phoenix made a double change on 62 minutes as Matt Sheridan replaced Payne and Sander Kartum came on for Ramy Najjarine. Corban Piper made way for Luke Brooke-Smith in the 83rd minute as Wellington looked to see out the result.
Beyond the recorded goals, booking and substitutions, detailed match statistics and further events were not available in the provided data. The result strengthens Wellington Phoenix’s position in the A-League table as the regular season enters its final stretch.
For more on the A-League and full competition context, visit the A-League page on Ballaxy, or check the dedicated match centre for this fixture here.
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