Princess Ibini made a dramatic impact as she came off the bench to clinch a 98th-minute winner for Sydney FC, leading them to a surprising 2-1 victory over 10-man Wellington Phoenix in the Ninja A-League on Saturday.
With the match seemingly heading for a stalemate after Manaia Elliott equalised Maddie Caspers’ first-half goal, Ibini took decisive action at Leichhardt Oval.
In stoppage time, she linked up brilliantly with Abbey Lemon, executing a slick one-two before calmly finishing to seal the win and dampen Wellington’s finals aspirations, which were already hampered by Tiana Jaber’s late red card.
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As a result of this victory, Sydney FC moved off the bottom of the table, while Wellington dropped to eighth, now two points shy of the top six.
The encounter was tightly contested at Leichhardt Oval, with the Sky Blues hoping to end a streak of just one win in their last seven outings.
On the other hand, the eighth-placed Phoenix aimed for consecutive victories to keep their finals hopes alive.
Genuine scoring opportunities were scarce until the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.
Celebrating her 18th birthday, Caspers finished a superb team move with poise, breaking Wellington’s defensive line.
Wellington’s captain Annalie Longo nearly levelled the score in the 67th minute, but her shot agonisingly veered wide, and the Phoenix nearly found the equaliser shortly after.
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In her first starting role, Sydney’s goalkeeper Jasmine Black made a crucial save, deflecting Elliott’s well-placed header onto the crossbar and out of danger.
Elliott would not be denied 15 minutes from time, receiving a perfectly weighted pass from Longo, which allowed the New Zealand international to finish past Black.
Wellington’s challenge was further complicated with five minutes of regular time remaining when Jaber received a second yellow card, leaving her side with 10 players.
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As the match seemed destined for a draw, Matildas forward Ibini emerged to change the course of the game, igniting jubilant celebrations among Sydney supporters.
This season, Sydney has seen six of their goals come from substitutes, the highest tally in the league.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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