Phoenix have ‘plenty to play for’ despite loss
A tricky trip to Kyrgyzstan could prove pivotal in the battle for the A-League Men minor premiership between the neck-andneck Wellington Phoenix and the Central Coast Mariners.
Coach Giancarlo Italiano insists “there’s still a lot to play for’’ despite the Phoenix losing their lead at the top of the ladder to the defending champions.
Brazilian defender Mikael Doka produced a slaloming samba-style stoppagetime finish to give the Mariners a 2-1 win over the Phoenix in Gosford on Saturday night.
Their deserved victory meant the Mariners joined the Phoenix on 46 points, but the defending champions are top of the table by virtue of their extra win across the first 24 rounds.
The Premier’s Plate is up for grabs with three rounds to go as the Phoenix chase their first silverware.
Italiano wasn’t overly despondent after watching his side suffer just its second defeat in its last 14 games.
He insisted he wasn’t looking past hosting the third-placed Melbourne Victory in Wellington on Friday, but he must also be mindful that the Mariners have five games in a 14-day period, including a gruelling trip to Kyrgyzstan for the first leg of the AFC Cup Inter-zonal Finals.
“I think for us our focus will be Victory,’’ Italiano said. “We expect a big turnout with the fans.”
Italiano said Melbourne Victory “are also playing for something’’ – a top-two place and home playoffs advantage. They had a 2-1 win over Melbourne City in Saturday night’s derby and are five points behind the top two.
“For us the focus will be solely that game,’’ Italiano reiterated.
“We’ll see what happens after three games. Mariners still have to win those three games and they have to travel halfway across the world. They have to deal with those variables, and we still have to win our games. There’s still a lot to play for this season.’’
The Phoenix will welcome back captain Alex Rufer, who missed the Mariners match after a one-match ban for stomping against the Brisbane Roar.
It’s unlikely Rufer would have allowed Doka to duck and weave to the edge of the box and get away his coruscating match-winning shot.
Italiano wasn’t blaming anyone for that lapse, but did admit: “I don’t think we’ve conceded a goal like that all year, especially at the top of the box. We usually defend that really well.’’
But he conceded the Mariners were “a very good team’’ and tough to beat at home and noted that Mark Jackson’s side prides itself on never backing down, “similar to us’’.
The statistics showed the Phoenix were distinctly second-best with the Mariners enjoying 62% possession and producing 23 shots to five, and 18 key passes to five.
Italiano thought the first half was “very cagey’’ and, despite the Mariners having the better chances, he thought the Phoenix back-five blocked the home side’s space well and “made it very difficult for them to get a free chance’’.
A thundering freekick from Doka that cannoned off the far post” was the Mariners’ best first-half chance and “that came from us sitting deeper’’.
“The second half was a little bit clunky … I don’t think we played on the ball well.”