90+2 min: Looks like Wanderers have done enough here to pick up all three points. Topor-Stanley whacks the ball deep into the stand on the far side and there’s not long to go now.

90 min: Undertones of a home decision now as just three minutes of added time are signalled. That won’t go down well on the Wellington bench, who were probably expecting a bit more.

89 min: Appiah, the former Wanderers player, comes on for Wellington to replace Bonevacia and he gets a warm reception from the home fans, which is nice. Tony Popavic brings on Pepper for Dimas at the same time.

86 min: Well, despite Wellington’s threat on the break and Wanderers’ frustration this half, you can’t really argue about that. Concentration is the key now, for the next five or so minutes at least (maybe more, given Sigmund’s injury).

85 min: Castelen! No! He perhaps should have scored there after being fed by Nichols as the Wanderers break four-on-three. He stutters ever so slightly, and his effort is blocked.

83 min: Krishna gets caught offside to continue his miserable afternoon. Here’s an interesting off-side-based stat from pre-match: Federico Piovaccari has been caught offside 15 times so far in this A-League campaign – five times more than any other player.

81 min: Wanderers can’t quite carve out a genuine chance, twice in quick succession they threaten to, but first Santalab and then Neville fail.

79 min: It’s a decent delivery from Jamieson, but dealt with by the Phoenix defence this time. The crowd is just over the 14,000 mark at Pirtek today, for those interested.

78 min: Here’s another free-kick for Wanderers, in almost an identical position as minutes earlier, only on the other side of the pitch, after Rufer is penalised for hand ball.

76 min: Castelen! The winger ducks down to get his head to Dimas’s delivery but is disappointed as his effort bounces wide of Moss’s upright.

75 min: Castelen now wins a free-kick on the Wanderers right... what can Dimas do with the dead ball now?

74 min: Well, that wasn’t very composed of the Wanderers – a long ball is pumped up the pitch to no one in particular, and actually, the hosts have gone off the boil a bit in the latter stages of the match.

72 min: Bonevacia finds Krishna, but the Fijian striker’s effort pretty much sums up his evening – it’s poor and Redmayne isn’t unduly tested.

71 min: Goalscorer Piovaccari’s evening is over and he’s withdrawn to applause from all corners of the ground. Brendan Santalab comes on to replace him, to even louder cheers.

70 min: Twenty minutes left and it’s still anyone’s game, with Western Sydney making a more composed case for victory, but Wellington capable of anything on the break.

68 min: No, he’s OK to continue. The pain has clearly eased. Good on him.

67 min: Alberto looks like he’s been hit by a sniper here after an innocuous challenge by Bonevacia down by the corner flag. If his reaction is genuine, he’s in real trouble here. Seems to be his ankle.

66 min: Rufer fancies his chances from distance here and his ambition is rewarded with a corner, via a deflection off a red and black body.

65 min: Forgot to say amid all that excitement, but Romeo Castelen has come on, for Dario Vidosic. And what a player to bring off the bench for the Wanderers.

63 min: Alberto nearly puts Wanderers ahead with a decent downward header that Gulley clears off the line! It’s all happening at the moment at Pirtek Stadium.

62 min: That’s a wake-up call for Wanderers, who had so far dominated proceedings this half.

61 min: Off the post! What a strike by Rufer, who lashes against the upright after the ball comes to him at the back stick!

59 min: Topor-Stanley makes a nuisance of himself in the Phoenix box but there’s nothing doing and Wellington break with Bonevacia. The move breaks down though as he loses control at the last.

57 min: It is indeed another well-rehearsed free-kick that goes short before Vidosic is played in. He can’t control properly on his chest though and Wellington clear their lines.

56 min: Vidosic draws a foul from Durante and replays show he’s a bit lucky, having lost control of the ball. Anyway, it’s a free-kick to Wanderers and another chance for a set-piece.

54 min: Ah, here’s Dean Heffernan to explain, having spoken with the Nix medical staff – he’s been struggling with a virus this week and suddenly came over all dizzy out there on the pitch.

53 min: It’s always a worry when the cause of injury is uncertain. And when someone as hard as Sigmund breaks down like that, even more so.

51 min: Sigmund doesn’t look too good. Really not sure what’s wrong with him, but he looks a bit winded, or concussed. He’s helped off by two Phoenix staff and he heads straight down the tunnel. Let’s hope that’s nothing serious.

50 mins: Meanwhile, Sigmund has gone down off the ball, and with Fenton about to come on, it looks like the defender’s night is over.

48 min: Neville and Vidosic link up nicely on this near side for the Wanderers, before Nichols is shoulder-charged off the ball by Durante right on the edge of the box. The crowd sees a foul, but the referee doesn’t and play goes on.

47 min: Rufer, wearing 14 on his back, gets involved immediately, something Sarpong had struggled to do during the opening period.

44 min: A lovely period of passing play results in Bridge getting free of his marker down the Wanderers left. He plays the ball inside, but the move comes to nothing in the end. Excellent to watch, nevertheless.

42 min: Robbie Slater said earlier that he doesn’t like to make comparisons between the A-League and other competitions before adding that there are some European league that are comparable.

40 min: A good little period here for the Wanderers who are threatening to grab a second just before half-time. Three chances in quick succession fall the hosts’ way, as Piovaccari, Bridge and then Alberto all give Moss something to think about.

38 min: Ooh! The Wanderers play a clever little free-kick routine as Dimas slides the ball to Vidosic, who hits it well enough first time, but Moss makes the save.

37 min: Albert Riera now goes into the book for obstruction and the Wanderers have another chance to get the ball into the box.

Here’s that earlier effort by Jamieson. Striker!

36 min: Piovaccari goes up for an aerial challenge with Moss and Sigmund, and the latter is left on the floor by the Italian. No action is taken by referee Strebre Delovski, and it’s a decent little battle between those two today.

35 min: Vidosic has stayed down after that challenge by Rodriguez. But he’s back on his feet and involved again before too long.

33 min: Here’s the first booking of the day – flashed in the direction of Alex Rodriguez, his third of the season, apparently.

31 min: “Truly awful from Dimas,” says the commentator, and there really isn’t much argument about that assessment. The Spaniard’s free-kick sails over everyone’s heads and ends up in the hands of Moss, under no pressure at all.

30 min: Sigmund monsters Bridge from behind and Wanderers have a free-kick in a position that cause some problems, about 30 yards out.

28 min: Glenn Moss boots a long ball all the way down to the other end of the pitch and with Krishna causing a nuisance of himself, Torpor-Stanley finds it difficult to deal with. He does in the end though.

26 min: Good work from Muscat again as he brings the ball out of defence with a burst of speed down the left flank, but before too long the Wanderers regain possession and here they come down their right, with Neville.

25 min: So, we’re 25 minutes in at Pirtek and while Wanderers have certainly enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, it’s all square.

23 min: Pirtek gets rocking as Piovaccari tangles with Sigmund once again. The Italian’s battle with Wellington’s central defensive duo has so far been a highlight.

22 min: It’s a poor corner by Jamieson though, and it goes out of play before bending back in.

21 min: Gulley and Piovaccari go at it, shoulder-to-shoulder and the Phoenix man does just enough to contain the Italian, who has to settle for a corner.

19 min: This is living up to its billing as an open and entertaining encounter so far. And you can’t help but get the feeling there are more goals to come. Which is good news for anyone watching on.

15 min: “He must have a foot like a traction engine!” So said Alan Partridge once, not of Scott Jamieson, but the Wanderers man would nevertheless be worthy of the same accolade after he sends an absolute thunderbolt into the back of the net from 30 yards out! It won’t count though, the whistle had already gone. Jamieson sports a rueful grin as he runs back to position.

14 min: The Wanderers are buzzing here as Bridge is the next to give the Nix backline a headache. He cuts back inside to open up a shooting chance, but his eventual effort is straight at a grateful Moss.

12 min: Centre-backs when they cross the halfway line – you’ve got to love them. Torpor-Stanley pops up on the Wanderers left wing, where he attempts a cross into the box. He slices it (naturally), but it very nearly catches out Moss as the ball skims the top of the crossbar on its way out of play.

10 min: Incredible period of play, but questions will be asked of the Phoenix, namely “where on earth were they?”

8 min: Off the angle of bar and post by McGlinchey! Great effort from the Kiwi! But as the ball cannons back off the upright, Wanderers break quickly...

8 min: Oh, could be danger here now as Vidosic upends a Phoenix player and the visitors have a free-kick right on the edge of the penalty area. Slightly worryingly for Wellington though is the sight of Krishna, who hobbles away from a challenge with Torpor-Stanley.

7 min: Wellington’s first half-chance of the day falls to the returning McGlinchey, who rather snaps at a shot and the ball rolls harmlessly across the face of Redmayne’s goal.

6 min: Nothing comes of the corner this time, but the Wanderers have started the brighter of the two sides. Durante and Sigmund have been busy already, with Nichols shaping as the evening’s tormentor-in-chief.

5 min: Nichols again causes trouble for the Phoenix defence and Wanderers win their first corner of the day.

4 min: Nichols is sent through by Bridge and after taking it into his stride beautifully it looks for a moment like he has the edge on Durante. But the Phoenix captain does well to match him and in the end he does enough to ensure Nichols’ effort is weak and straight at Moss.

3 min: The drum beat from the Red and Black Bloc is distinctly audible watching on the television, as ever, as Bonevacia is pulled up for a shirt tug.

2 min: Not a full house by any stretch today, but those inside are quick to claim a penalty as Piovaccari hits the deck early on, under a nothing challenge by Sigmund. Nothing doing, says the referee, and you get the distinct feeling that he deserved a booking for simulation there.

Still no sign of the teams on the pitch... oh, here they come, slightly delayed for reasons I’m unsure of. Phoenix in their yellow shirts and black shorts, Wanderers of course in their usual red and black strip.

The betting man has been on the telly and in a departure from my usual whinge about the abundance of gambling adverts targeting sporting events, I’ll just say that he and his paymasters fancy Piovaccari to score tonight. One goal is enough to open the floodgates apparently and to be fair, it does often work like that for strikers. Didn’t Marc Janko start slowly last season? We all know how that ended up.

Kick-off is at 17:15 Parramatta time tonight, Parramatta time being no different to AEST. So in about seven minutes time.

A quick plug for David Squires’ latest cartoon, on the ABC doco about Australia’s failed World Cup bid for the 2022 edition. It’s well worth a look, if only for his caricature of Pauline Hanson. And Frank Lowy’s son (the other one). And Franz Beckenbauer. And... oh just click below.

Last night’s Brisbane-Melbourne City game is being replayed on Fox Sports while we wait for the action to start in Parramatta, giving viewers another chance to check out City’s unique brand of “anti-football”. At least that was the view in the post-match press conference of a rather agitated Roar boss John Aloisi, who vented his spleen at his perception of the visitors’ tactics at Suncorp.

Nothing like a good stat to get the juices flowing.

And another! Wellington have only lost once in the last six A-League encounters with the Wanderers (won three, drawn two). That came in their last league meeting, when Western Sydney won 2-0.

Mike will be here shortly. In the meantime have a read of Paul Connolly’s excellent Friday Focus piece on former Western Sydney keeper Ante Covic, who had this to say about his departure from Parramatta after winning the Asian Champions League with the club:

Was I bitter? Yes. I thought I’d put my blood, sweat and tears into that club, into that team. I believed in everything that club achieved and was doing. You’ve just won the MVP of the ACL and all of a sudden you’re told you’re not needed? So, yes, it was a bitter pill to swallow. But there comes a point where you have to realise that was someone else’s decision and there’s nothing you can do about it. If you let the anger eat at you the less effective you will be going forward. I knew I was good enough and I stayed positive and Perth came calling.

Read the full article here.