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Wellington Phoenix will be looking for a winning return to the Cake Tin when they play host to Sydney FC on Sunday. Join The Roar from 3.00pm (AEDT) for live score updates and debate in our live blog.
Wellington have been the surprise packets of the season and after winning four consecutive games have stormed to the top of the table, four points clear of Victory, Sydney and Perth who are all on 38 points.
However it will be a very different Phoenix side that lines up against Sydney with up to six players missing due to international duty. But despite being without Socceroo Nathan Burns and All Whites Michael McGlinchey, Louis Fenton, Michael Boxall, Tom Doyle and Tyler Boyd, Ernie Merrick is confident his side can cope, telling reporters that he won’t name a patched up team to take on the Sky Blues.
Despite missing some of his biggest names, Merrick does have plenty of experience to call upon with ‘keeper Glen Moss, skipper Andrew Durante and Vince Lia, who is line to play his 150th game this weekend at his disposal.
The astute Merrick will have studied his opposition and will be ready to unleash speedster Roy Krishna and the cunning Joel Griffiths on a shaky Sydney FC defence.
Sydney’s unbeaten start to the year came to an abrupt end last week against Melbourne City. However remain unbeaten on the road this season and will be quietly confident of securing their first points in New Zealand since 2012 against Phoenix’s makeshift starting 11.
Graham Arnold will be without injured Terry Antonis, while Shane Smeltz is expected to come in for record-breaking striker, Marc Janko who is on international duty.
Smeltz, who spent two seasons at the Phoenix, has largely been used off the bench this season and the veteran striker will be out to show Graham Arnold that he still has plenty to offer as a starting player.
After scoring 25 goals in seven games, Arnold will have spent this week focusing on fixing his side’s defensive fragilities that were exploited again last week and will hope the returning Jacques Faty can help marshall youngster Alex Gersbach who was caught out by James Brown last week.
Regardless of the result, Wellington will remain at the top of the league, but expect this game to be influenced just as much by the players missing as the ones that will meet at the Cake Tin on Sunday. Join The Roar from 3.00pm (AEDT) for live score updates and debate in our live blog.
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