Phoenix’s first goalscorer out to ignite home fire
Ava Pritchard wrote her name into the history books when she scored Wellington Phoenix’s first A-League Women goal.
She would love to be the first to score a goal at home as well.
The New Zealand under-20 international is hoping to create more history for the Phoenix when they kick off the new season with their first-ever home game, against Melbourne City, at Sky Stadium tomorrow.
‘‘It would be absolutely amazing to score,’’ Pritchard said, ‘‘but at the end of the day we just want to put in a good performance. If we win then if anyone scores then it would be amazing.’’
When Pritchard found the back of the net in a 5-1 defeat to Newcastle Jets in round two last season, there were only a handful of Phoenix fans in attendance to witness the milestone.
For their first home game, the Phoenix are hoping to draw an A-League Women record crowd of 10,000.
Among those at Sky Stadium will be some of Pritchard’s friends and members of her extended family.
Her grandmother is making a special trip from Taupō for the occasion.
‘‘This is a whole new level ... getting to play at home in front of people who are actually supporting us. We’ll still be the underdogs, but just getting to play at home is going to be amazing.’’
Pritchard was a regular starter on the right wing last season – one of only two players to start every game.
But there will be plenty of competition for places in the Phoenix’s attacking unit this season with new coach Natalie Lawrence bolstering her frontline by signing Football Ferns Emma Rolston, Paige Satchell and Michaela Robertson, as well as Pritchard’s gun New Zealand under-20 team-mate Milly Clegg.
Pritchard is up for the challenge as she looks to retain her starting spot and believed the increased competition can only be a good thing for a team who scored only 13 goals in their first season.
Melbourne City’s New Zealand star striker Hannah Wilkinson scored more than that herself, ending up with 14.
Wilkinson will not travel to Wellington for the first game, which is a boost for the Phoenix.
She is still sidelined by a quad injury that kept her out of the Football Ferns’ matches against South Korea.
‘‘I love it,’’ said Pritchard, of the competition for places up front.
‘‘It just makes me want to work even harder. With the likes of Paige Satchell and stuff it’s just driving me to work even harder as well so I can be at their level and help them out as well.’’
There was a lot to learn from Satchell too, she said. ‘‘She has amazing work rate and is a work horse.
‘‘She inspires me to keep going through the whole game.’’