When it comes to penalties, it seems the more things change, the more they stay the same for the Wellington Phoenix.
Last year’s woes from the spot dragged over into this season for Ernie Merrick’s men in Sunday’s A-League opener at Westpac Stadium against Newcastle Jets.
The Phoenix dominated possession and territory against last season’s wooden-spooners, but the Jets still ran out 2-1 winners as Roy Krishna’s missed penalty proved crucial.
Wellington had clawed their way back into the match right on the half-time whistle when Roly Bonevacia bundled home to match former Socceroo David Carney’s 30th minute header.
Two minutes into the second spell, Krishna had the chance to put the Phoenix ahead from the spot but Jets keeper Mark Birighitti’s save kept Newcastle on even terms.
Milos Trifunovic provided the winner for Newcastle with 20 minutes remaining, clinically finishing off a beautifully weighted through ball from Carney.
The Phoenix suffered a series of penalty bloopers last season, with Krishna, Bonevacia, Michael McGlinchey and Nathan Burns all missing from the spot.
This season, Merrick revisited his tactics of leaving the decision on who would step up to the players on field.
Krishna is the designated penalty-taker, with McGlinchey his No.2.
“You wouldn’t believe the number of penalties we’ve been practising,” Merrick said.
Krishna’s miss isn’t going to signal a change of plans.
“We’re sticking with Roy, his back-up is Michael McGlinchey, and he doesn’t miss them in training.
“I think it’s more in the head. I thought he took the penalty really well, I just thought it was a good save from Birighitti.
“He chose the right way to go and he got a good save in there.”
Merrick acknowledges a successful penalty could have changed the course of the game, but says the Phoenix need to improve their dead ball skills across the park.
“I think we should be better on penalties, free kicks that are just wide of the box and certainly corner kicks.
“But if we’d scored a penalty four minutes into the second half after scoring just before halftime, it would have been a different story.”
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