Midfielder Simon Elliott has already experienced the lows and highs of the Wellington Phoenix season in just two matches for the Hyundai A-League club.
The New Zealander signed on as an injury-replacement player at the beginning of last week and got his first taste of A-League action in the disappointing 4-1 loss to Brisbane Roar which ended the Phoenix’s record-breaking run at Westpac Stadium.
But a far more committed effort from the team away in Perth four days later – and a stunning goal by Tim Brown in the opening 40 seconds of the match – earned the Wellington side a vital 1-0 win and their first away victory of the season.
“I think people were disappointed in their own performances and disappointed in the team performance,” Elliott said of the loss to a classy Roar side.
“But I think we addressed some of those concerns at the weekend. We’ve still got a lot to work on in terms of how we approach games and be defensively disciplined because if you do that you don’t concede goals and you win games.”
Sunday’s win has certainly lifted the confidence in a team that has struggled for consistency this season and they will need that new-found self-belief with third-placed Central Coast next up at Westpac Stadium on Saturday night.
“It was a real bonus to go away from home and get the first three points of the season,” Elliott said.
“When you get your first win of the season on the road it’s a big achievement. I know people only look at results but if you look at the two performances there was a big difference in the two performances.”
“If we keep doing the things that we did on the weekend then we’ll be more successful than not.”
“You give yourself a much better chance if you’re doing the right things defensively and if you’re being disciplined as a team. We made a good start to that in Perth.”
Elliott’s contract with the Phoenix runs for six weeks and so far there have no negotiations around a possible extension for the 36-year-old, who has been without a club since leaving American Major League Soccer club San Jose Earthquakes following the 2009 season.
“It probably wouldn’t be appropriate at the minute to be fair,” the midfielder said. “I’m here for that six-week period and I’m happy to be here. I’m just delighted that they are happy to have me here.”
“They are doing me a favour really so the only way I can repay them is by going out and doing the best I can to help the team.”
“My focus and the team’s focus is just on this next run of games, starting on Saturday.”
“Then we’ve got five games in two weeks after that so it’s a big, big part of the season for us.”
“If we can get good results in this next little patch then it sets the team up really nicely going into next year and the play-off run.”
