Soccer: Onus on stragglers to put on show worth watching

Wellington Phoenix fans react to their team's loss against the Brisbane Roar. Photo / Getty Images

This game has all the ingredients of a giant yawn - the two worst performing teams of recent weeks up against each other in their second A-League game in four days.

Perth at least have the advantage of successive home games.

The Phoenix will run out at nib Stadium after the longest haul in the competition.

The Phoenix are no strangers to the Perth ground. It is their second visit in as many months.

That last game at nib Stadium holds special significance for the home team. The 2-1 win they scored was their last of the only three wins they have savoured this season.

Perth won three and drew two of their first five games - since then it has gone sour. In their last eight outings - four at home - it has been anything but glory for the Glory.

Their solitary point from those 720 minutes of football came on Wednesday night in the 0-0 draw with Melbourne Heart. In those eight games Perth have scored just two goals and conceded 17.

The Phoenix have been marginally better in the same period. Since that early September loss in Perth, Ricki Herbert's team have won two, drawn two and lost four, scoring nine goals and conceding 16. Head to head both teams have won four and lost four and drawn three.

Of most concern for the Phoenix is their shocking record across the Tasman. They have the worst away record of any current A-League team - understandable given the number of transtasman crossings - with 26 losses from 42 away matches (61.9 per cent). Only the long-gone New Zealand Knights, with a 76.2 per cent losing record on the road, have fared worse.

Somewhat ironically, Perth - 37 losses from 63 trips (58.7 per cent) is the only other club to have lost more than half of their away matches. Long haul travel obviously a factor.

Herbert has had little time to regroup after Wednesday's galling 4-1 loss to Brisbane. Apart from bringing Marco Rojas in for Nick Ward, he has stuck with the squad he used midweek at Westpac Stadium.

Perth Glory v Wellington Phoenix
* nib Stadium, Perth
* Tomorrow 9pm (live SS1)