It’s a long way home after losing! Be there as Phoenix aim to make Glory’s epic return trip a miserable one!
Wellington Phoenix v Perth Glory
Saturday 10th December, 5.00pm
It’s a long way home after losing! Be there as Phoenix aim to make Glory’s epic return trip a miserable one!
Westpac Stadium hosts another exciting match-up this weekend as Perth Glory make the longest journey in domestic football. Be sure to give them an intense welcome and create the kind of atmosphere that will spur your players on to send them on the arduous journey home empty-handed! Secure your tickets today and prepare your vocal chords to create massive noise!
A win would be the perfect tonic for Phoenix, who were gutted to have come away from Victoria without at least a point last week. Still, the manner of the performance is certainly something to be positive about.
After falling 1-0 behind to Melbourne Heart just before half-time, the visitors were excellent in the second-period and indeed created enough chances to win the match comfortably as they turned the screw in the final 20 minutes. However, the goals just wouldn’t come, and it was with disappointment that they headed back to New Zealand.
But they will approach this Saturday’s match-up with Perth Glory in the knowledge that, with a bit more accuracy in front of goal, a similar kind of display with give them a good chance of three points. Besides, Phoenix are a different proposition on home soil. Their fine 2-1 win over Sydney a couple of weeks back is proof enough of that.
Along with the desire to get back to winning ways, Phoenix will be looking to get one over the side that inflicted their first defeat of the season. Week Three’s close encounter was decided by Shane Smeltz’s 52nd Hyundai A-League goal.
The result was a little tough on injury-hit Wellington though, who played well but lacked punch due to the absence of suspended vice-captain Tim Brown and injured talisman Paul Ifill. With a stronger starting-eleven this time round, and with home advantage, Phoenix are relishing the chance to show Perth what they are really made of.
As Glory play their second away game in four days, they’ll be hoping to take forward some of the form they showed in last Saturday’s performance, when they played with a confidence that belied their recent patchy run.
Then, Mile Sterjovski celebrated his daughter’s birth by scoring the first of two penalties in a disciplined 2-0 victory over 10-man Gold Coast United. Shane Smeltz grabbed the second, coolly chipping his spot-kick down the middle to seal the win against his former employers.
It was a fine way to lay to rest the ghosts of the previous week’s nightmare in Brisbane, as Glory played with pace, energy and vision to overcome their visitors and, for the first time ever, lift the Iron Ore Cup.
Perth have already proved in the Hyundai A-League 2011/12 season that they can overcome Phoenix, so this is really where the Fever Zone needs to play a part.
As Sydney FC found out last week, Westpac Stadium is a tough place to visit when the home fans are in full voice, so, once again, get behind your team and help them to a valuable victory. You can make the all-important difference!
