Soccer: Phoenix take confidence in home-away-from-home games

NZ Herald

17 Nov, 2011 04:30 PM3 mins to read

Paul Ifill gets some training in at North Harbour Stadium before the Phoenix's match against Adelaide tomorrow night. Photo / Richard Robinson

The Wellington Phoenix have only a so-so record against Adelaide United, but they will take some heart from a couple of results heading into tomorrow's Eden Park showdown.

Of their three wins over the South Australians - they have also drawn four and lost six - two have come in home games played away from their Westpac Stadium fortress.

Last year, on the second occasion they had taken a home game out of the Capital, Ricki Herbert's team won 1-0 in front of 19,276 fans at Christchurch's AMI Stadium - the biggest crowd for a Phoenix regular season fixture.

Only in two play-off games at the end of the 2009-10 season when they drew 24,278 ( against Perth Glory) and 32,792 (in the minor semifinal 3-1 win over the Newcastle Jets) have they attracted bigger crowds.

In December last year they returned to AMI Stadium, again beating Adelaide (2-1) in front of their biggest "home" crowd of the season - 14,108.

Adelaide have figured in other key matches for the Phoenix. In December 2008, the Phoenix were thrashed 6-1 at Hindmarsh Stadium - their worst loss and the only time they have conceded more than four goals in a match.

In February the Phoenix lost their 100th Hyundai A-League match 1-0 to Adelaide at Hindmarsh Stadium. The Phoenix also lost by the same score to Adelaide in last season's aptly named elimination final.

While the Phoenix can count that 2008 loss as their worst, it is not as bad as the 7-1 drubbing handed Rini Coolen's side at Suncorp Stadium three weeks ago. Phoenix fans are quick to point out that Brisbane Roar managed only a 1-1 draw with the Wellingtonians at the same ground last Sunday.

Adelaide bounced back from that humiliation to draw 1-1 at home against Melbourne Heart and then prepared for their transtasman crossing with a 2-1 home win over Gold Coast in what was a dominant display.

There is also a Phoenix connection in the "Reds" squad with defender Jon McKain having played 37 times for the club from 2008-2010.

Midfielder Zenon Caravella played 21 games for the long-forgotten New Zealand Knights between 2005-06 before heading to the Netherlands and then the Gold Coast before joining Adelaide this season.

The only current Phoenix player to head in the other direction is Lucas Pantelis who played 101 games for Adelaide before joining Herbert this year, only to have his season ended before it started when stretchered off with a crippling knee injury in the pre-season friendly with Central Coast Mariners in Tauranga.