Nix satisfied with road trip
Wellington Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano was “very happy” after his table-topping side claimed four of a possible six points from back-to-back away matches.
Last weekend’s 2-1 win over Macarthur FC was followed by a 0-0 A-League Men draw against Perth Glory on Saturday, where it took until the 90th minute for either team to have to make a genuine save.
Italiano was hamstrung in his selections by injury, with leading goalscorer Kosta Barbarouses unavailable with a calf strain, and visa players Bozhidar Kraev and Oskar Zawada only available as substitutes.
He said “the momentum shifted significantly” when that pair entered the contest at the hour mark, shortly after new signing Youstin Salas came on for his second Phoenix appearance.
“I thought BK was excellent in the pocket, drawing the fullback in and then making more space for Payney.
“Then I thought Youstin as well gave us a lot of energy in the six. He was also supposed to step in the 10, but I was a little bit more liberal with him.
“Oz, on a better day with a little bit more feel a little bit more match conditioning, I think he finishes maybe one of those chances.”
Zawada’s best chance came right as stoppage time began, when he met a cross from left wingback Lukas Kelly-Heald with his head, forcing All White Oli Sail in the Glory goal to make a one-handed save to his right.
While away trips to Perth are always tough, as a result of the five-hour time difference back to New Zealand and the heat – and on this occasion, the raucous support of the home fans – this match was different to recent Phoenix outings across the Tasman.
Where Macarthur put the Phoenix defence under the pump last week, just like Brisbane Roar before them – in a match where they equalised late to secure a 1-1 draw – Perth were never really able to build sustained pressure.
While it’s hard to quibble with a point on the road, that did mean there was a sense the Phoenix might have been able to push more earlier, even with their injury woes, and one selection in particular stood out as curious – that of Fin Conchie over Oskar van Hattum on the right of a front three.
Italiano acknowledged afterwards that using Conchie there “limited us to one side” in transition – the side where Ben Old again shone, though he lacked team-mates to create for before hitting the post himself midway through the second half.
“When we made the changes, and we balanced off a little bit more, you started seeing how effective we could be.”
The Phoenix return home to Sky Stadium in Wellington to play Adelaide United next Sunday, in a match where they will be hoping to attract a crowd of over 10,000.
“When we made the changes, and we balanced off a little bit more, you started seeing how effective we could be.”
Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano