KEY POINTS:
Wellington Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert is being careful to ensure his side doesn't fall into the trap of playing desperate football in tonight's match against Perth Glory.
Coming off a lean run in the A-League and up against a hungry Perth outfit, Herbert says the Phoenix have worked hard on keeping emotions in check in the lead-up to the game at Westpac Stadium.
The Phoenix have been unable to convert good performances into points. Last Friday's 2-1 loss to Adelaide United was a case in point, as the Phoenix failed to convert sustained pressure throughout the match into a vital win.
It was a repeat of their game against Melbourne and Sydney in the previous two weeks when the Phoenix played a 10-men opponent for significant periods.
The competition's newest club now sit at the bottom of the table, level on points with Perth but behind on goal difference.
Herbert said his team would not be sucked into departing from their fluent playing style when they seek a third win against the Western Australian team this year.
"We know where we sit, we've had two good results against them Perth at home 4-1 and away 1-0 and it's a good opportunity for us to put things together," he said.
"We've been playing well. We're doing enough to show that we have the ability to win games. But one area I see as being important is that we don't start playing desperation football because we're not a desperate sort of side. If we lose our rhythm then I think we could be ordinary."
Herbert said the Phoenix would most likely start with a 3-5-2 formation, with striker Vaughan Coveny linking with Shane Smeltz up front.
The onus would be on midfielder Ahmad Elrich, in particular, to pressure the Glory's defence out wide.
"I'm looking to Ahmad to be better with his decision-making. I think that if we can start taking fullbacks on, get more advanced down the pitch and add a little more variety in what the crosses look like, then that'll help."
Despite having let the opposition off the hook in several matches, Herbert said was no need to read the riot act.
"I think it's really a matter of them keeping their heads now because these are the sort of games you can lose quite easily."
The Phoenix will wear black armbands during the match in memory of a fan who died on his way home after watching the Phoenix-LA Galaxy match on Saturday.
Michael Webby, 29, slipped on a greasy path and fell 20m down a steep bank early on Sunday morning as he was making his way home to his Kelburn flat.
* PHOENIX V PERTH GLORY
Westpac Stadium, Wellington tonight 7.30pm (live SS1)
PHOENIX (FROM) Mark Paston, Glen Moss, Jeremy Christie, Tony Lochhead, Karl Dodd, Tim Brown, Vaughan Coveny, Shane Smeltz, Michael Ferrante, Daniel, Richard Johnson, Steven Old, Kristian Rees, Vince Lia, Ahmad Elrich, Felipe.
- NZPA
