Ernie! It Was (Kinda) Worth The Wait
As downbuzz as the last few months have been supporting the Wellington Phoenix, it was almost all worthwhile as the Nix upset Western Sydney 5-2 yesterday. Almost worthwhile, because their recent slump has put them in a horrible position but in terms of the 'worthwhile' aspect, we were treated to some performances that offer a glimmer of hope.
There are a bunch of sayings that follow a similar path as the cloud and silver lining yarn, so to endure such a horrible time in Phoenix history and then witness a Blake Powell hatty and a super impressive display from new lad Hamish Watson, well it was nothing less than the perfect Valentines Day gift. The Nix took their opportunities with a ruthless efficiency that simply hasn't been evident this season, more ruthlessly efficient than when Roy Krishna was leading the attack.
All this against the Wanderers who headed into this game at the top of the ladder, but who had also endured a tough week courtesy of their fans' antics. The Wanderers were also without their Spanish trio, whether they would have helped the Wanderers stop a rampant Powell or not would have been interesting.
The fact that Powell's first two goals came via crosses, crosses which would have floated into a vacant space or drifted out a week or month ago could possibly be evidence of some growth in this Phoenix team. After the game, Powell said how he owed Ernie! some goals after the coach had shown immense faith in him (kinda, there weren't many other options) and that he was happy to repay that faith. It felt like the stars had finally aligned after that shitter of a Christmas/New Year holiday period.
Whether this is a one-off or if this is sustainable through to the end of the season is the big question.
The presence of Watson and his performance could possibly be as impressive as Powell's goal-scoring efforts. Watson slipped into A-League footy seamlessly and gave the Nix a greater presence up front along with Powell, with these two forming a nice combination which allowed Michael McGlinchey to roam more freely than he had done during the slump.
How do Powell and Watson take us forward into the finals?
Way too early to say, Powell must now be oozing confidence however and confidence can do crazy things to a player (ask Jamie Vardy). It could be merely a coincidence that the Nix enjoyed greater efficiency with their shots on goal (5/9) and crosses with the Powell/Watson combination, or it could the work of their combination. I'm leaning towards this combination being the reason for the success of the crosses, etc., playing with two certified strikers meant that there was always a target in the box, at best two targets.
Both Powell and Watson offer something slightly different to each other with Powell a sneaky striker who found a home at the back post, while Watson's a bigger body better suited to the middle of the box. I like this combination and I just generally like playing with two strikers.
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Can the Phoenix find the perfect balance between fluffing around with the ball in possession and also being a lethal counter-attacking team?
This is an interesting question I've been asking myself throughout the slump as the Nix looked far more dangerous on the counter than they did building up their attacks. Tom Doyle scampered down the left to set up the first goal for the Nix via a lethal counter-attack and given the way Ernie likes his fullbacks to push forward, the Nix could certainly look to make the most of more and more counter-attacks. This will also help their possession footy as they could become a team that is equally as dangerous with their intricate passing in the middle of the field, as they are making a two or three passes and boosting it up field.
Behind the scenes, or behind the goals, were of course the toiling midfield and defence. Matt Ridenton got the start and played the full 90 minutes in place of Alex Rodriguez, and with Albert Riera returning the Nix looked far more solid at the back. Riera's presence must be calming for everyone around him as he's generally perfectly positioned and well organised which in conjunction with the fine efforts of Andrew Durante and Dylan Fox in the middle of the defensive line, made the Nix difficult to break down.
Fox (9) and Durante (5) combined for 14 interceptions with 4 from Riera. These are the kinda numbers that the Nix need to put on the board if they are to snatch a finals spot and it was a bummer to concede those late goals to the Wanderers as a 3-0 or 4-0 clean sheet would have really hammered things home.
This win came at a great time with the Nix heading to Newcastle next weekend to face the Jets who sit one spot and one point ahead of the Nix on the ladder. These games must be won for the Nix to make a late season push and an impressive display in Newcastle would fill the Nix with confidence, confidence that they didn't just catch the Wanderers on a off night, that they can topple the league's best even with a slightly depleted roster if they are at their best.