Melbourne Victory will head to Wellington with everything to play for in the second leg of their semi-final, having played out a tight 0-0 draw at AAMI Park on Sunday evening.
A healthy crowd packed turned out for what was a momentous occasion and potentially the final home game of the season.
The Victory defence had to be alert from the opening minutes, as Jason Geria stood firm at the near post to head away one of the early chances from a Wellington cross.
The first big chance of the match arose just after 20 minutes played, when Bruno Fornaroli manufactured himself some space inside the penalty area, but was only able to fire straight at Alex Paulsen in the Wellington goal.
Both defences remained on top throughout the half, although Victory controlled the majority of possession.
Both Roly Bonevacia and Salim Khelifi looked potent having been given their chance from the start, but both were unable to breach the Phoenix defence by the time half-time arrived.
The second half started as a similarly tight affair.
Each side looked capable of scoring, particularly in moments of transition.
Tony Popovic made his move on the hour mark, bringing on Jake Brimmer, Daniel Arzani and Ben Folami as the search for an opener intensified.
Chris Ikonomidis also came into the game as it edged towards its conclusion.
Arzani provided plenty of spark down the right wing since coming on, causing a defensive scramble from Wellington on a number of occasions.
However, even Victory’s flurry of chances were unable to find a way past Paulsen in the Phoenix goal, who made a series of strong saves.
The game ended still locked at 0-0, leaving everything to hinge on the second leg in Wellington.
