Corinthian 1-1 Phoenix

Injury-time equaliser costs Phoenix two points

Andes Shquti scored his second of the season

Phoenix Sports ended December unbeaten but were left feeling frustrated after conceding a late equaliser as their trip to Corinthian ended in a 1–1 draw, in a match they will feel they should have won.

The opening stages were relatively even, but Phoenix carved out the first real chance of the afternoon after 14 minutes. Jamarie Brissett delivered a dangerous low cross which was cleverly dummied by Tyller Davis Whitlock, falling invitingly to Lyle Della Verde inside the box. The midfielder struck it first time but saw his effort fly just over the bar from twelve yards out.

Chances were at a premium for much of the first half, with neither goalkeeper seriously tested. Davis Whitlock tried his luck for the visitors on the half-hour mark, cutting inside onto his left foot before ballooning his shot high over the crossbar.

The sides went in level at the break with little to separate them.

The second half began in similar fashion and just before the hour mark, Ryan McCourt was called into action and produced an excellent double save to keep the scores level.

Phoenix fans were growing increasingly frustrated by the officiating. On 65 minutes, Jamarie Brissett was incorrectly flagged offside as he ran clean through on goal, before Will Efambe suffered the same fate minutes later, both decisions halting promising attacks.

The visitors continued to push and came agonisingly close on 73 minutes. Substitute Mackenzie Richardson burst down the right flank and squared the ball perfectly for Efambe, whose close-range effort was superbly saved by the Corinthian goalkeeper Fletcher Hegarty.

That pressure finally told seven minutes from time. A loose clearance was seized upon by Della Verde, who showed great vision to slide a perfectly weighted through ball into the path of young substitute Anduel Shquti.

Shquti kept his composure and fired home to give Phoenix a deserved lead after a period of pressure.

However, victory slipped away late on in frustrating fashion. With 90+2 minutes on the clock, Corinthian were handed an opportunity from a corner and Caleb Afoke was left unmarked to stoop and head past McCourt, levelling the score.

Phoenix pushed for a second but couldn’t create another chance and the referee blew his final whistle, confirming a 1-1 draw, leaving Phoenix with a sense of disappointment after a dominant second-half display.