There’s a lot about the Wellington Phoenix’s 2-2 draw with Sydney FC that was also applicable to their 0-0 draw away to Melbourne Victory a week ago. Both were games in which the Nix did enough to win but were relatively satisfied with a draw, this one featured plenty of goals but it also featured the Nix being unable to hold a half-time lead. However it does mean six games undefeated now and if there are regrets about not taking three points from either of these two games then, well, better just take it out on those jokers up next: Western United.

Speaking of Mark Rudan, if anyone’s still on that Anti-Rudan buzz then fair enough, he crossed a couple lines, but I was never much for that whole thing at the time. Mark Rudan restored belief in this Nix team and that was a beautiful thing. Something to be grateful for even after the bitter divorce (I watched that Marriage Story on Netflix the other day, it’s very good) but he never hung around long enough for us to see any evidence that he hadn’t capped out with that squad. Rudan could convince you to drive into a brick wall. He could sell ice to an Inuit. But as a tactical manager, did he have the finesse to alter a game against a top team in his favour? His record against the top three sides suggested otherwise.

Ufuk Talay, on the other hand, has been doing that all bloody season and he’s only just started this gig, hence it’s hard to feel bitter about the old gaffer when the new one’s doing so damn well. Against his old team and his old mate Steve Corica this was another tactical victory to add to that increasingly long list. It didn’t start that way, for the first fifteen minutes it was all Sky Blue as the afternoon festivities caught the Nix slightly sluggish in their first game in Wellington for a month and that led to an ugly opening goal as Adam Le Fondre took advantage of miscommunication between Luke DeVere and Stefan Marinovic. Which... looked like 90% the keeper’s fault. DeVere coulda taken matters into his own hands and put it fifteen rows deep but he hesitated because Big Stef had called for it and not only called but came rushing most of the way out too only to find he couldn’t get there. Leaving both goalie and defender stranded as ALF did his thing. A stupid goal to concede.

But then it all got a lot better. Talay had named an unchanged team from the side that played in Melbourne, with Alex Rufer still unavailable so Cam Devlin held his spot after a fantastic game last time – getting a go against his old team. Fizzing is the word they normally use. There were a couple little alterations though, as the Nix changed shape back into that 4-2-2-2 that they began the season in, matching the Sydney shape that Talay was so used to last season. They also switched Josh Sotirio onto the left to keep Rhyan Grant from doing what he did to the Nix last time and that one worked preeeetty much perfectly. Grant and his extremely Aussie mullet were barely in focus all afternoon.

The first goal came pretty directly. Libby Cacace took a throw in back in his own half, the Nix then knocked it across from left side of defence to the right side and back to the left. All pretty steady stuff until Cacace suddenly hoofed one flat and heavy down the line, which was probably meant for Sotirio but he missed it which worked out even better because David Ball had gotten the inside lane on his marker. Ball carried it too deep to shoot but he squared a perfect one across goal to where Reno Piscopo was lurking. Bang, 1-1. Such great work from Ball in particular and that’s Piscopo’s first A-League goal.

The second goal was even better, again starting from deep possession in defence and building forwards with some slick one-touch passing mostly involving Tim Payne before Ulises Davila slipped in Piscopo down the right side. His cross came back over and Davila hammered it in on the volley – a deceptively tough finish as it was rising quick on him (and he’s not a tall fella) plus of course it was on his weaker right foot. Nah, no worries. Nix up 2-1, barely twenty minutes after going behind.

At this point it was Golden Phoenix Football. They were knocking it around beautifully, winning plenty of 50/50s, and keeping the Sydney attackers extremely quiet. Poor old Kosta Barbarouses must’ve felt like he was playing for the Nix again being this ineffective in Wellington. A reminder that this Sydney team was coming in on a six-game unbeaten streak and had only dropped points in one game all season. And... that’s pretty much where the one criticism of Uffie comes because it seemed like he got a little cautious with it all, playing to preserve rather than persevere.

Both teams had influential imports on the bench at less than a hundy percent fitness but Milos Ninkovic was subbed on in the 55th minute while Gary Hooper wasn’t introduced until the 80th. And Ninkovic really changed the game too. He gave Sydney a focal point to their work in the attacking third and literally the first thing he did was to win the free kick that led to the equaliser. A very soft free kick, just quietly, but not as soft as the defending as a low ball from Luke Brattan somehow got past three dudes (including David Ball who fell over tussling with his man, he was probably the one who needed to win it but Steinmann and DeVere didn’t cover themselves in glory either) before Steven Taylor was left blinded and unable to get out of the way at the back post, nudging it on off his hip for an ownie. Two very avoidable goals to concede.

Still, the Nix should have won regardless. They had considerably more chances, even if Ninkovic did help drag the play away from the Sydney defensive half a little more. Even if Hooper was introduced too late and Callum McCowatt/Ben Waine not at all. Even if the Nix still haven’t quite clicked in front of goal. Because after a stunning run from Libby Cacace, doing all the hard work to put the ball on an absolute silver platter for Ulises Davila, the Nix’s top scorer... who then went and missed from here...

These ones are often harder than they look, the ball comes at you fast in these situations and even faster when you’re leading with your near foot. But there’s no excuse for missing that. Davila cocked it up. It happens sometimes and you just have to move on. 2-2 against the league leaders is a perfectly okay result.

He only got a few seconds at the end but shout out to Sam Sutton for getting his A-League debut. It’s been on the cards for a while now, this was the fourth time he’s been included on the bench this season and he was also an unused sub in the FFA Cup game. Sutton only turned 18 less than two weeks ago but he’s been bossing it for the WeeNix and I mean bossing it in the dictionary sense as well as the colloquial sense because he captains them too. A really clever midfielder with a great sense for the game, good from set pieces too where he chips in with the odd goal. He’s another impressive academy fella who is working his way into the fold... and now he gets to pass the Next-In-Line-For-A-Debut belt to... dunno, Ronan Wynne? Kurtis Mogg? Ahmed Othman? Luis Toomey? Noah Tipene-Clegg? Owen Smith? Henry Hamilton? We shall see.

If Sutton needs a bit of advice on how to go about cracking that midfield if the opportunity does arise then he only needs to talk to Cam Devlin. What he’s done in the last two and a half games has been huge and you chuck in Reno Piscopo and his goal and assist here and the near flawless integration Tim Payne has had at right back and for a Phoenix team that didn’t look to have a lot of depth at the start of the season guys seem to keep on stepping up when required/asked. Walter Scott is really the only dude to have any trouble.

When that’s a trend, it shows there’s not only a great atmosphere in the squad and great attitude from the players, but also it’s another tick for Ufuk Talay in how he’s able to define those roles and put guys in a position to succeed. I will say that I don’t think Devlin was as good here as last week, his stats were impressive but he gave the ball up a few times in bad areas, either forcing a pass or dwelling on the ball. It’s all part of the learning curve and what he offers is an extra level of dynamism in the middle... but it’s way premature to say he’s put Alex Rufer on notice after two starts. That ain’t it, dude. Definitely not yet.

Speaking of that depth, this was the first game that Callum McCowatt hasn’t played in. After starting five of the first six and looking pretty good, to be honest, he’s fallen behind Reno Piscopo who has started the last four and obviously got his first goal here so he’s a good bet to start next week too. The difference between them is clear enough. Piscopo’s had all those years in Italy and the technical side of his game is just better. Therefore he’s a little more reliable to a coach when setting up a team. It’s a useful lesson to McCowatt since he’s basically dominated wherever he’s played the last couple years but this is another step up for him and that takes an adjustment. He’ll be working hard in training and all that.

Minutes have been tricky to come by for a few players lately. Ben Waine has three mins over the last four games after getting 77 minutes in six games, featuring as a sub in each of them, before that. Te Atawhai Hudson-Wihongi and Liam McGing have still only had one substitute appearance each. Oli Sail is yet to feature. And Gary Hooper, who is being cautiously built up towards full fitness and is being targetted for a start against Central Coast in the first game of 2020, has only logged 120 minutes since signing two games into the season. So what do you do with that? You say Merry Christmas to Paul Temple and release the entire bench to play for the WeeNix the following day. That happened. All seven of them. Sail in goal. TAHW and McGing at CB. Sutton in midfield. McCowatt on the right wing. Waine and Hooper up front. (Abetted by Ronan Wynne, Kurtis Mogg, Noah Tipene-Clegg, and Ahmed Othman).

But you can read about that one in Premmy Files later on. The important thing for now is that the Nix continue to impress with the way they’re playing and for the sixth game in a row they’ve avoided defeat. It doesn’t do any wonders for them on the table, sitting sixth, but after next week there’s a pretty tasty run of winnable fixtures: Central Coast at home (9th), Western Sydney at home (8th), Brisbane away (10th), Newcastle at home (11th). But first, the small matter of REVENGE. Away to Western United. A game so important, the lads will be training on Christmas morning so those presents under the tree might have to wait a while.

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