Live Updates: A-League - Wellington Phoenix v Perth Glory, Eden Park, Auckland

Live updates have concluded 

Final score: Phoenix 2 (Hemed, Sotorio goals)  Glory 2 (Timmins, Fornaroli goals) HT 1-0

Wrap: That was a cracking game of football - felt like a cup final. That's not the result the Phoenix were after, and they now need results to go there way to make the playoffs. 

Great fight from both sides and the final quarter was just fantastic - full of drama and great job Aucklanders for getting out to support the boys.

9+5mins - Phoenix want another penalty but it's waved off..... referee calls time and the game is over. 

90+4mins - Time is running out on the Phoenix. Free kick for the Glory.

90+2mins - Davila  strikes from distance but Reddy parries out for a corner.

89mins - Davila goes right and Reddy guesses right and makes the save. Gutted!

87mins - Penalty for the Phoenix! Devlin makes a run into the area and is dhecked by A'Agostino and that's a pen!

85mins - A cross comes in from Fornaroli and D'Agostino gets to it but his header is well wide. 

84mins - Castro earns the Glory a corner.

83mins - Corner is floated in by Davila and Taylor gets up high but his header floats well over. 

80mins - Goal Phoenix: Joshua Sotorio - Brilliant strike! Davila finds Sotorio with a lovely pass and the Aussie fires from just inside the box on the left hand side and it beats Reddy to his left and settles in the corner of the net. 2-2

78mins - Yellow card for Fenton - nasty tackle on D'Agostino.

75mins - Goal Glory: Callum Timmins - What a stunning strike!! Timmins unleashes a bomb from 25 yards and it beats a full stretched Sail and rockets into the net. PER 2-1

74mins - Taylor commits a foul in the box and the Glory have the free kick. 

73mins - Davila creates inside the box and gets a shot away - deflected out for a corner. 

72mins - Ball comes in and David Ball goes for the bicycle kick but it's well wide. 

71mins - Free kick for the Nix is taking quickly and Fenton earns a corner. 

68mins - Ulises Davila is on the park for Ben Waine who couldn't quite make an impact on the game.

66mins - Free kick is well weighted and Hemed's header is across goal to Waine but he can't get anything on that and Reddy punches clear. 

64mins - Counter from the Nix as Ball is on the fly - he looks to skip past Timmins but is checked hard. Free kick Phoenix. 

61mins - Goal Glory: Bruno Fornaroli - Class. Sutton loses the ball on halfway and Keogh quickly finds Castro.... great pass finds Fornaroli at full steam and he slips the ball past Sail and the Glory are level. 1-1

60mins - Ball wins a corner for the Nix.

59mins - Reno Piscopo's shift comes to an end as he is replaced by the pacey Josh Sotorio.

57mins - Big chance for the Nix! Cross comes in from Piscopo and Hemed rises superbly and gets power on his header but it's just over the bar. Reddy was beaten. 

56mins - Dane Ingham off and the very dangerous Bruno Fornaroli on for the Glory. 

54mins - Piscopo with a give and go with Ball and he gets to the byeline but his low cross is cleared. 

52mins - Clayton Lewis has a strike but it's fluffed well wide. 

51mins - Free kick for the Nix just outside the box. 

49mins - Nice touch from Hemed creates space for himself and he fires a low shot at Reddy's goal but it's well wide. 

48mins - A strong header from Taylor clears the danger for the Nix.

47mins - Glory start with intent - pushing hard for the equaliser and they have a corner.

Second-half: All on the line in the second-spell with both sides desperate for the three points.

Half-time: The Phoenix take a 1-0 lead into the break with a great strike from Hemed enough to seperate the sides. Close game and the Glory are creating enough openings to suggest this one is far from over. 

45+5mins - Another slight opening for Castro but his cross is way over Sail and out for a goal kick. 

45+3mins - Castro creates another chance for Perth but Chianese can't turn on the ball and get a shot away. Goal kick. 

45+1mins - Keogh finds Castro in the box and he has a crack but Lewis defends well and the ball pops up safely for Sail to collect. 

43mins - Sutton creates again as he cuts inside in the box and has a crack but the ball is deflexted to safety. 

42mins - Nix down the left again as Sutton with a brilliant cross but Waine can't get anything on the header. 

40mins - Hemed makes a run down the left and fires in a lovely cross that Waine coan't get to ... ball bounces out to Piscop who has a crack but the ball is deflected off a Glory player, then Waine and out for a goal kick. 

38mins - Perth starting to get back into the game, but it's very tight in the midfield. The Nix look very dangerous on counter attack. 

35mins - Long pass forward from ball and Waine fights off Lachman - he picks out Hemed on the edge of the box but he fires his shot over the crossbar.

34mins - The Phoenix repel a Glory attack and are back on the ball bossing the midfield. Lewis has been excellent in the opening half hour. 

31mins - The Nix with 69 percent of the ball in the last five minutes as they start to get their game going. 

29mins - Piscopo shoots and its low to Reddy's left and he parries out for a corner.

28mins - Free kick for the Nix centre field about 25 out from goal.

25mins - Goal Phoenix: Tomer Hemed - Piscopo finds space and releases Fenten who fires a low pass into Hemed in the box and he has a heap of time and launches a rocket strike at goal and it beats Reddy for the opener. PHO 1-0

23mins - Keogh and Ingam combine to create a chance for Chianese but his shot is muffed.

21mins - Lewis sets Ball free through the middle and he dribbles into the box and shoots low and hard to Reddy's right but it's wide. 

18mins - Waine cops a wayward arm to the face from Ingham and the Nix have a free kick.

16mins - Glory still bossing possession in the middle of the park. The Nix struggling to control the ball when they have it. 

14mins - Lewis with a lovely ball sends David Ball on a run to the byeline but his cross is deflected to safety by Geria. 

11mins - Castro playing around with the ball inside the Nix box and finds room for a shot but Sail dives to his right and collects well with both hands. 

9mins - Perth with more of the ball at the moment, but not exactly threatening the Nix goal.

7mins - Glory on the attack through Castro who sends a ball down the left for Keogh but it's long and out for a goal kick. 

3mins - Call is overturned - Payne deamed to have tripped over himself.

2mins - Ball along the deck and a Nix player goes down - penalty given! Tim Payne the man fouled - it was a bit soft, but not enough to overturn - VAR is looking at it.

1mins - Fenton makes a run down the right and heads to the byeline - he's brought down outside the box and that's a free kick. Picopo to take. 

Kick-off - Diego Castro gets the game underway - bumper crowd in Auckland today.

3:33pm - Players and officials making their way out to the "Garden of Eden" - Steven Taylor skipping the Nix today - playing for a contract? Maybe. 

 

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3:32pm - Wind has picked up although they rain has gone from steady to light.

3:07pm - Rain starting to set in at Eden Park - very doark clouds have been above Auckland all morning and into the afternoon.

3:01pm - Matchday squads have been announced and are listed at the bottom of the pafe. Confirmation Ulises Davila is back - on the bench - but back, while Reno Piscopo will start. 

Hello folks and welcome to Newshub's coverage of the A-League clash between the Wellington Phoenix and Perth Glory from Eden Park in Auckland.

The Nix need all three points as their hunt for a spot in the playoffs continue, while the Glory are also desperate for victory as they push for postseason football. 

Wellington sit a spot above the Glory on the ladder, although Perth have a game in hand to make up the two-point deficit.

Fate is in the Phoenix's hands - two wins and they will earn a spot in the final six, and with Adelaide losing last night, it isn't inconceivable they could earn a home playoff match. 

The good news for the homeside is skipper Ulises Davila's return, with the Mexican expected to play a role from the bench, while attacking midfielder Rebo Piscopo will start after recovering from a shoulder knock during the week.

Matchday Squads

Wellington Phoenix (4-2-2-2): 20-Oliver Sail (GK), 16-Louis Fenton, 27-Steven Taylor, 6-Tim Payne, 19-Sam Sutton, 8-Cam Devlin, 23-Clayton Lewis, 9-David Ball, 7-reno Piscopo, 17-Tomer Hemed, 18-Ben Waine 

Reserves: 1-Stefan Marinovic (GK), 5-James McGarry, 10-Ulises Davila, 11-Josh Sotorio, 13-Charles Ngoy, 14-Alex Rufer, 21-Josh Laws

Perth Glory (4-4-2): 33-Liam Reddy (GK) 2-Jason Geria, 5-Jonathan Aspropotamitis, 29-Daryl Lachman, 8-Kosuke Ota, 23-Dane Ingham, 19-Callum Timmins, 13-Luke Bodnar, 17-Diego Castro, 10-Andrew Keogh, 11-Joel Chianese

Reserves: 1-Tando Velaphi (GK), 6-Osama Malik, 9-Bruno Fornaroli, 15-Brandon Wilson, 18-Nicholas D'Agostino, 22-Joshua Rawkins, 24-Daniel Stynes