The Wellington Phoenix beat Perth Glory on Sunday night, despite a lightning delay and a tense penalty shoot-out.
The Phoenix claimed victory 8-7 in penalties after the game ended 1-1 following extra time.
Lukas Kelly-Heald, a young player from the club’s academy, scored the winning penalty in heavy rain at Perth’s Olympic Stadium. Earlier, he had also netted his first competitive goal to give the Phoenix a 1-0 lead by halftime.
The match was paused for over 30 minutes in the second half due to a lightning strike near the stadium. When play resumed, Perth’s star striker Adam Taggart equalised in the 89th minute, forcing the game into extra time.
Neither team could score during the additional 30 minutes. In the shoot-out, Perth had a chance to win but missed their fifth penalty. The score continued to swing until sudden death, when Perth missed again and Kelly-Heald sealed the win.
Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano said he didn’t watch the penalties but praised Kelly-Heald’s effort, noting the young player stayed strong even when others thought he might need to be substituted.
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