Melbourne Victory defeated Wellington Phoenix for the second time in the 2025/26 Isuzu UTE A-League season on Friday evening.
Arthur Diles’ team went ahead through a near-post Sebastian Esposito header, his first for the Club, only to be pegged back when Carlo Armiento fired the Phoenix level at Sky Stadium.
The advantage was crucially restored on the stroke of half-time in the Round 16 fixture courtesy of the recalled Nishan Velupillay’s deadly touch and finish combination.
Wellington had an awarded penalty overturned midway through the second 45 before Louis D’Arrigo scored what proved to be the winner within a minute of coming off the bench, as an unfortunate Roderick Miranda own goal brought it back to 3-2 late on.
Team News
Diles made a series of alterations to the team that started the narrow loss to Central Coast Mariners. January arrival Charles Nduka was handed his full debut, being supported in the attacking areas by Reno Piscopo, who was making his first start of the season.
The other switches saw Roderick Miranda, fully recovered from injury, back in defence, and used substitutes in Round 15, Jordi Valadon and Velupillay, brought in. There was a place on the bench for Joshua Inserra, whilst Lachlan Jackson missed out on the match-day squad.
Santos was sidelined by a minor leg injury picked up in Gosford last Sunday, with the Brazilian expected to be available next weekend.
Match Action
Victory suffered a major scare in the opening 60 seconds. Ramy Najjarine snuck posession through to Tim Payne, and it took a fully-sprawled save from Jack Warshawsky to deny the Kiwi from striking early.
This close call proved to be a major wake-up call, and from this, Victory settled into the contest, taking the lead inside 10 minutes. Piscopo’s dangerous corner was headed in by Esposito, with the centre-back credited with the goal despite a touch off a yellow and black shirt on its way in.
It could have been two for the visitors shortly after the clock passed a quarter of an hour played. Velupillay threaded the ball into Nduka’s path, but his left-footed shot was blocked by Wellington defender Isaac Hughes.
At the other end, when the hosts did find some freedom in attack, Warshawsky got right behind a low drive from Armiento.
Unfortunately, when the Australian left-winger got another opportunity, he seized upon it. Teed up by Najjarine, Armiento rifled his finish across goal into the bottom corner.
Briefly, it appeared Victory had reestablished the lead, however, Nduka’s goal was correctly ruled out for the use of his hand to control the ball. Then, a minute later, the Phoenix’s Ifeanyi Eze netted, only for his lifted conversion to be flagged offside.
There would, though, be a go-ahead goal before the interval, and it was for the Melburnians. Nduka, continuing to lead the line aggressively, turned provider for Velupillay, who opened up his body to place the ball beyond Albert Kelly-Heald’s dive.
Half-time: Wellington Phoenix 1-2 Melbourne Victory
It was a subdued start to the second period, and the first shot in anger did not arrive until approaching the hour. When it did, Kelly-Heald was across to Juan Mata’s drive and held on well. Wellington threatened themselves, but this time Armiento’s sight of goal was superbly blocked by the sliding Esposito.
Armiento was then in the thick of some controversy when the Nix were awarded a penalty after he went down in a challenge with Joshua Rawlins. Referee Jack Morgan, who initally awaded the spot kick, spent some time at the pitchside monitor and overturned his original decision.
Still in front, there was still work to do, and Diles turned to his bench to get it done. D’Arrigo, supplied by an elevated pick out from an earlier introduction, Keegan Jelacic, clinched a third away win of the campaign with a purposeful, downward header.
This would be a critical third, as on the back of Velupillay’s stretching header to a sweeping Nikos Vergos cross somehow staying out off the post, Wellington cut the lead to one. Armiento’s far side corner found a way over the line via Roderick Miranda.
Match Details
Wellington Phoenix 2 (ARMIENTO 39′, MIRANDA OWN GOAL 84′)
Melbourne Victory 3 (ESPOSITO 10′, VELUPILLAY 44′, D’ARRIGO 77′)
Wellington Phoenix starting XI: 30. Albert KELLY-HEALD (GK), 4. Manjrekar JAMES (27. Matthew SHERIDAN 82′), 6. Timothy PAYNE, 7. Ifeanyi EZE, 8. Paulo RETRE (18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD 82′), 11. Carlo ARMIENTO, 15. Isaac HUGHES, 16. Sander KARTUM (29. Luke BROOKE-SMITH 68′), 20. Ramy NAJJARINE (3. Corban PIPER 77′), 25. Kazuki NAGASAWA (C), 28. Bill TUILOMA.
Substitutes not used: 40. Eamonn MCCARRON (GK), 5. Fin ROA CONCHIE, 39. Jayden SMITH.
Booking: RETRE 45+3′, L. KELLY-HEALD 90+3′.
Melbourne Victory starting XI: 40. Jack WARSHAWSKY (GK), 2. Jason DAVIDSON (C), 21. Roderick MIRANDA, 15. Sebastian ESPOSITO, 22. Joshua RAWLINS, 10. Denis GENREAU (27. Louis D’ARRIGO 76′), 8. Jordi VALADON, 7. Reno PISCOPO (23. Keegan JELACIC 63′), 17. Nishan VELUPILLAY, 64. Juan MATA (14. Matthew GRIMALDI 63′), 44. Charles NDUKA (9. Nikolaos VERGOS 76′).
Substitutes not used: 25. Jack DUNCAN (GK), 16. Joshua INSERRA, 19. Jing REEC.
Booking: NDUKA 44.
Coming soon
Victory’s A-League Men’s campaign returns to AAMI Park next weekend, hosting Brisbane Roar in Kids Round on Saturday, February 14, kick-off 5pm AEDT.
