Lia stands up for Phoenix in time of need
In a momentous week for the Wellington Phoenix, it was fitting that Vince Lia played a starring role.
The veteran midfielder scored his side’s second goal in their 3-0 win over the Central Coast Mariners in Hamilton on Saturday, shooting from 25 metres out and firing the ball into the top corner.
It was just Lia’s fourth goal in more than 200 A-League appearances, and it came at the end of a week that had been tough for him as the club’s longeststanding player, one where he had to help pick up the pieces in the wake of coach Ernie Merrick’s resignation.
‘‘The first few days were probably the toughest in my time [at the Phoenix],’’ he said after the game.
‘‘I said in some interviews that we felt we’d let Ernie down as a playing group, and as leaders we probably didn’t get the team firing as much as we needed to on the field, so that was a big onus on us this week, to get the boys really backing Greenie and Des, which they have done, and I think the effort tonight really showed that.’’
Lia’s strike was bookended by goals from Hamish Watson, in the second minute, and Roy Krishna, in the 95th.
Krishna’s goal was his sixth of the season, and came at the end of a rapid counterattack, something that pleased interim coach Chris Greenacre.
‘‘I think in patches we were devastating with some of our attacking play,’’ he said.
‘‘The last goal summed that up, with the numbers that got forward and the fitness levels of the boys to get forward, and that determination to score that goal, I thought it was fantastic.’’
Greenacre also praised the impact of Watson’s early goal, which was credited to Kosta Barbarouses at the time, but later awarded to to the big man who got a telling deflection on his teammate’s shot from outside the box.
‘‘After the week we’ve had, to get a start like that was the perfect tonic for us, I think it just settled everyone down.
‘‘We got the front guys firing, we created a lot of opportunities, and I don’t recall Mossy making too many saves.’’
The key to getting the attackers firing was the introduction of Watson, who made just his third start of the season.
He mostly played up front, providing a target for his teammates to find from deep or from wide areas, but also interchanged with wide attackers Krishna and Barbarouses on occasion.
Greenacre said the decision to bring Watson in came because he ‘‘brings something different’’.
‘‘He’s a physical presence, he’s a top finisher, and he’s got a fantastic work ethic. He’s capable of playing in any of those roles, central or wide, he’ll do a job defensively, and he gets in goalscoring positions.
‘‘We just felt that we wanted to throw another striker on there. I’ve mentioned this week about this attacking blueprint we’ve got, and he falls into that. He gave their back two a real handful.’’
With a win in Hamilton, the Phoenix continued their record of success when playing home games away from Westpac Stadium, which now consists of nine wins, six draws, and two losses.
Another one of those games is up next, when they head to Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland to host the Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday, where another win could move them inside the top six.