Spirited Nix make statement
If that was Mark Rudan’s farewell, it sure was a fitting way to bow out.
The departing Wellington Phoenix coach, who has instilled so much self-belief and confidence into a team desperately lacking it, proudly watched as star striker Roy Krishna showed incredible desire to score a 94th minute match-winner against Melbourne City in what could be Rudan’s final act at Westpac Stadium in Wellington.
Having suffered back-to-back defeats against Adelaide United and Brisbane Roar, questions were asked whether Rudan’s departure had negatively impacted on the playing group.
But those concerns were kicked aside by the unstoppable Krishna, who stepped up to score the first hat-trick of his A-League career to secure a crucial 3-2 win on a record-breaking night for the Fijian on Sunday.
‘‘The most important thing was to find a way to win in injury time. Good teams do that and it tells you what good teams are made of; their strong mentality, the togetherness and a never say die attitude,’’ Rudan said.
‘‘We needed it on the back of those last two games and those two results. Getting the win, the mood in the dressing room, the boys are really happy and that’s what you need. You need a bit of momentum heading into the finals and, if anything, it gives us that belief that no matter what the scoreboard says from a time perspective we can find a way to win and that’s huge as far as I’m concerned.
‘‘With a round to go and finals football, that’s huge. The belief is there. They know that any attack or any given moment we can get something out of this and that’s what I’m most pleased about.’’
With a staggering 18 goals to his name, Krishna has broken the club record for most goals scored in a single season. He is now two goals clear of Sydney FC’s Adam Le Fondre in the Golden Boot race and became the first player to score 50 career goals for the Phoenix.
The win also keeps Wellington in the hunt for a home playoff. They are just one point behind Adelaide, who could lock in fourth place with a win against Brisbane on Thursday. Anything less and the Phoenix will have a chance to overtake them when they take on leaders Perth Glory on Sunday.
With his departure confirmed, Rudan was unsure of the reception he would get when he walked out on to Westpac Stadium on Sunday. But as he made his way through the players’ tunnel it became clear that the response was a positive one. There was a small group of fans holding a banner that read ‘‘Thanks Mark Rudan – respect’’ while his name echoed throughout the Yellow Fever zone on fulltime.
‘‘I’ve got nothing but respect for those fans and I worked hard for them. I apologised throughout the week to them for my decision but to see what happened afterwards was really touching.
‘‘I’m sure my wife and kids would be really extremely happy when I give them a call after this about the reception I got so I can’t thank them enough for embracing me.
‘‘If it is the last time, it will last with me for a very long time. It’s beautiful, it is really is. Thank you is all I can say.’’
Rudan sprung a surprise by naming striker David Williams at right wing-back in a move that allowed Max Burgess to play alongside Sarpreet Singh in attacking midfield. Given Wellington’s struggles since Louis Fenton suffered a season-ending injury, with Ryan Lowry and Justin Gulley tried without success, Rudan asked Williams to do a job largely unfamiliar to him.
The experiment worked. While Williams was less effective in a more defensive position, Burgess was able to fill the attacking void by assisting on Krishna’s first two goals.