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Phoenix gun down Jets to crack top six

Monday, February 10, 2014

by
There is so much to love about the A-League – the excitement, the competitiveness and the sheer love that people have for their respective teams.

But nothing makes the A-League more appealing than one simple fact – the finals series.


That fact became ever so much more pertinent on Sunday afternoon in an absolutely absorbing affair Wellington Phoenix outgunned the Newcastle Jets 3-2 to entrench themselves in the top six for the first time this season.

You read that right, after 18 rounds, Wellington have finally cracked the hallowed A-League top six.

After going the opening 10 rounds without winning a single game, Wellington has won six matches from its past eight starts to rocket from dead last to the precipice of finals football.

Few leagues around the world employ a finals type competition as the post-season way to determine the League champion and that adds to the uniqueness of the A-League competition.

If a first past the post competition was run in Australia, nine clubs would be struggling to sell tickets to their home matches as Brisbane are certainties to take the crown this season.

Teams like Wellington and even Melbourne Heart have gone on charmed runs in recent weeks and have reason to believe that their seasons have life in them yet.

Remarkably the Jets haven’t won a match in their past seven outings but they sit just one win adrift of the top six with nine matches left to play.

The psyche of sport in this country is one of fighting until the end and that desperation culminates in a winner takes all finals series to determine the overall winner.

Australians wouldn’t want it any other way and the clubs in the A-League would undoubtedly provide similar sentiments.

The woes of the Jets have been endless in recent weeks with the sacking of coach Gary Van Egmond and the lack of form which the team has been producing on the pitch.

Interim boss Clayton Zane has done his best to try and lift his troops but at the moment Newcastle look down on confidence and struggling in second last spot on the ladder.

But the upside for them is that there is still nine matches to go and if they can somehow turn around their form they are more than a good chance of making the finals.

Football purists will say that teams that win the premiers plate are the real champions but that is beyond the point, the A-League is not designed that way.

Regardless if teams like the Jets or Wellington lose more game than they win, if they make the top six then they are a chance to win the A-League title.

That’s football and it’s the way we like it.



Newcastle Jets: 1. Mark BIRIGHITTI, 3. Taylor REGAN, 4. Kew JALIENS, 6. Zenon CARAVELLA, 7. Andrew HOOLE, 8. Ruben ZADKOVICH (c), 11. Craig GOODWIN, 13. Joey GIBBS, 15. Josh BRILLANTE, 16. Jacob PEPPER, 19. Michael BRIDGES, 21. Sam GALLAWAY, 20. Ben KENNEDY, 22. Adam TAGGART, 24. Mitch OXBORROW, 27. Nick WARD



Wellington Phoenix: 1. Glen MOSS, 2. Manny MUSCAT, 3. Reece CAIRA, 6. Josh BRINDELL-SOUTH, 10. Stein HUYSEGEMS, 11. Jeremy BROCKIE, 12. Tyler BOYD,  14. Alex RUFER, 15. Jason HICKS, 17. Vince LIA, 18. Ben SIGMUND, 20. Lewis ITALIANO, 21. Carlos HERNANDEZ, 22. Andrew DURANTE (c), 23. Matthew RIDENTON, 24. Roy KRISHNA