They may have smashed records but Wellington Phoenix manager Mark Rudan is just concerned about the three points that have taken the club up to fourth on the Hyundai A-League ladder.
The Phoenix’s 8-2 annihilation of Central Coast Mariners on Saturday night was the biggest win in the club’s history and a brilliant display of attacking football as they put their hosts to the sword.
REPORT: Record-breaking Phoenix hammer Mariners in 10-goal bonanza
GONE: Mariners and Mulvey part ways after 8-2 thumping
WATCH FOR FREE: How to watch the Hyundai A-League LIVE and FREE
Speaking post-match, Rudan said he was proud of how they had responded after their 1-0 loss to Sydney FC last time out.
“I don’t think any coach thinks they’re going to hit eight past an opponent be it home or away but certainly if you looked at the reaction from two weeks ago, it’s a long time between drinks particularly after a loss,” Rudan said.
https://players.brightcove.net/5472387882001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6011935133001
“We worked extremely hard on making sure we weren’t complacent, it was always going to be a banana-skin game as far as we’re concerned, they had nothing to lose.
“It’s all about attitude and making sure the game plan was the right one and we were ruthless tonight, I was really proud of them.”
The margin of victory has moved Wellington up into fourth and a home final provided they can remain there with six game remaining.
Rudan said he was more concerned with the three points as his side chases their first Hyundai A-League finals appearance in four years.
“If you told me we would have got plus six tonight I would have taken it,” he said.
https://players.brightcove.net/5472387882001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6011923217001
“I would have taken plus one to be honest because the most important thing were the three points. There’s a lot of talk about if we had got so many we would have ended up in fourth position but it’s always about the process.”
Roy Krishna moved to a personal best 14 goals for the season after a first-half brace, moving him to within two of the current Nix record of 16 set by Jeremy Brockie back in 2012-13.
Rudan praised the Fijian but also took time to give credit to the rest of the squad.
“He’s [Roy] not the only one, there’s quite a few that have stepped up and with five or six games to go there’s still a lot of work to be done,” Rudan said.
“You put it down to managing each individual, making sure you work daily on each individual to improve them as footballers and we haven’t just done that with Roy although he was one of the first that I gave a big hug when I came to the club and told him just how important he was going to be and we’re going to work hard to get the best out of him and right now that’s where he’s heading towards but there’s more to come.”
