KEY POINTS:
Wellington Phoenix head coach Ricki Herbert has called in the reinforcements to bolster his squad ahead of the Phoenix's soccer A-League clash with Sydney FC on Friday.
Midfielder Troy Hearfield and defender Manny Muscat boarded a plane for Sydney today to join the Phoenix as the team gears up for the important match against the Hyundai A-League's glamour boys at the Sydney Football Stadium.
Coming off a lacklustre 2-0 loss to Perth Glory in Perth on Sunday, Herbert believed it important to extend his squad and increase his options for the Hyundai A-League round 11 match.
"It's a case of adding some flexibility to the squad. It's been a long road trip and we wanted to inject some fresh players who can offer us something different if we deem it necessary," Herbert said.
"Given that we played Perth on Sunday and then play Sydney on Friday, we thought it prudent to bring Troy and Manny over early so that they're here and ready to go if we need them."
The Phoenix controlled possession and the tempo of the game against Perth but were unable to convert pressure into goals, while Glory striker Nikita Rukavytsya was able to convert his side's only chances either side of the break at Members Equity Stadium.
Having encouraged his players to show more ruthlessness in front of goal against the Glory, Herbert was left to lament a lack of cohesion and killer instinct on attack.
"We had a lot of possession and were never really under too much pressure for most of the match but the decision-making wasn't what it needed to be in the front third. Chances need to be created and pressure needs to be applied to the opposition and everyone has a part to play in that. It's certainly not the responsibility of one or two players to create and convert scoring opportunities; it's the responsibility of everyone on the park."
- NZPA
