Soccer: Ifill back for Phoenix

Paul Ifill of the Phoenix makes a break. Photo / Getty Images

Wellington have done reasonably well without him of late but they are an infinitely better side with Paul Ifill and they welcome the influential striker back for the first of two home games in five days.

The 32-year-old has been troubled by a tiny groin tear in recent weeks and will likely play from the bench against Sydney FC tomorrow afternoon, although neither he or Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert gave much away today.

Ifill said the extra intensity of match-play would give him an indication if he was full recovered.

"I feel good, again but, like I've said before, you feel great in training most of the time and it's that sort of extra 10-15 per cent that you can't replicate," he said.

"I've put my hand up to be involved. Whether I'm from the bench or from the start, it's down to Ricki."

Herbert said he would make a decision on Ifill tomorrow morning, but indicated the make-up of the starting team would be similar to the side who lost 2-0 to Adelaide across the Tasman last Friday.

"I think the group that went to Adelaide need to turn that result around and come back here and get us back on track against Sydney," Herbert said.

Sydney travel to Wellington after they were beaten 4-0 by the Melbourne Heart last week and, although they are one of the better road teams in the competition, Herbert suggested his side would again look to draw from their strong record at Westpac Stadium.

"Our form has been great at home. I think we've only lost four games in four-and-a-half years. So it's not easy for teams coming across this way, either. But we've got to try to keep that record intact and Sydney will be disappointed after getting beaten well 4-0 last week. So they'll be desperate, we need to be desperate and it's always been a decent game against them."

After Sydney, the Phoenix host Perth on Sunday before they close out the A-League with seven of their last 11 games on the road.

Ifill said the Phoenix, who sit fifth on a congested A-League ladder but are yet to win away from home this year, need to look at a new approach across the ditch if they want to challenge for a top-four spot and secure a home play-off game.

"Let's have a go at going all-out attack on those away games and winning some points," Ifill said. "It's no point going away and looking for a point [for a draw]. We rarely do that anyway. So let's go and try and get three and, if we come away with nothing, we come away with nothing."

Taking six points from this week's fixtures will be crucial if the Phoenix want to build any momentum heading in to the final months of the season, although Ifill felt they were in a good place to put together a run of results.

"I always fancy us at the end of the season. I don't know why, we always have a decent run. We seem to have gone a little bit early this year, which is probably a good thing if we can get six from six [at home] it takes the pressure off a little bit. I always fancy us to win at home."