Substitute Kwame Yeboah halts Phoenix's A-League rise

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:14 am

Substitute Kwame Yeboah headed home a winner 17 minutes from time as Western Sydney edged out in-form Wellington on Friday to revive their flagging semifinal hopes.

The Wanderers' 1-0 win at Bankwest Stadium, however, was overshadowed by a sickening head knock for Nicolai Muller.

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Play was held up for six minutes during the first half as Muller received attention, with multiple players from both sides waving frantically for attention from the sideline for the Wanderers forward.

Kwame Yeboah headed home a cross from Daniel Georgievski for their first win in five games.
Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

He appeared unconscious before he hit the turf after a reckless lunge from Phoenix defender Louis Fenton resulted in a clash of heads midway through the first half.

It was a rare poor day at the office for the high-flying Phoenix, who didn't get out of first gear and played the final 25 minutes with 10 men after key defender Luke DeVere was dismissed for a second yellow. 

Phoenix -- boasting five wins from their past seven outings -- started brightly, with David Ball somehow failing to open the scoring in the third minute with a shot that struck both posts but stayed out of the goal.

That was as good as it got for the Phoenix, however, who barely created any further goalscoring opportunities.

Yeboah, who came on for Muller, made Wellington pay by expertly heading home Daniel Georgievski's cross to seal the Wanderers' first win in five matches since the Sydney derby in February.