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The match between the Newcastle Jets and Wellington Phoenix looms as an intriguing contest as both teams are level on points and sit just one point outside the A-League top six with 10 rounds to go until the finals.
Despite both teams well and truly in the hunt for a spot in the finals, they could not be in different form.
Wellington have surged to the cusp of a top-six spot despite a horrendous start to the season which saw them fail to win a game in the opening ten rounds.
Since then they have recorded five wins and a draw in their past seven matches to make them one of the form teams in the competition heading into the last third of the season.
Newcastle on the other hand have slumped to second last on the ladder after a promising start to the season and are rebuilding after the sacking of coach Gary van Egmond just three weeks ago.
The Jets have failed to win in their past six outings and were lucky to escape with a point in last weekend’s controversial 2-2 draw with Western Sydney.
The return of fan favourite Joel Griffiths ended in heart ache for Jets supporters with the hot-headed striker sent off after the final whistle for abusing referee Ben Williams.
Griffiths’ absence is a big loss for the Jets who have struggled to find the back of the net in recent weeks and compounded with the likely absence of Emile Heskey who is struggling with a back problem.
Youngster Adam Taggart showcased his continued development with a double last weekend which including a cracker from 30 metres and he will need to have a big game for the Jets to have a chance against a red-hot Wellington.
The Jets have looked to bolster their squad with the signing of former Socceroos left-back David Carney but he is unlikely to feature in the clash with the Nix this weekend.
The addition of former Glory midfielder Nick Ward has added some creativity in the middle of the park for the Jets but the question will be whether they can be clinical enough in the final third to take their chances this weekend.
The Phoenix on the other hand have no such problems with former Belgium international Stein Huysegems in super form netting eight goals for the campaign to lead the A-League goal scoring charts.
Costa Rican pair Carlos Hernandez and Kenny Cunningham have re-invigorated Wellington’s season with their creativity and flair in the final third creating havoc for opposition teams.
Ernie Merrick has transformed the Nix’s style of play and they’re attacking brand of football has made them one of the most entertaining teams in the A-League to watch – a far cry from seasons gone by.
Their willingness to press and work hard off the ball has borne fruit in their recent run of form and their pressure will cause problems for the Jets this weekend.
Jets custodian Mark Birighitti had a sub-standard game against the Wanderers and is clearly down on confidence after the Jets horror run, something which Wellington can look to exploit.
The Jets are attempting to adjust to a different style under interim boss Clayton Zane and it is clearly taking time for the team to gel under their new manager.
Goals are the problem for the Jets and the burden will clearly be on the shoulders of Adam Taggart who is the only Newcastle player to have scored multiple goals this season.
Wellington have goal scorers aplenty with Carlos Hernandez, Kenny Cunningham and Huysegem sure to cause plenty of problems for the Jets back four.
The Novocastrians have traditionally struggled against the Phoenix and their shocking run of form suggests only for that to continue on Sunday.
The instability within the Jets camp at the moment and the continued improvement of Wellington under Merrick indicates only one result – Wellington to win.
Prediction: Wellington 3-1 Jets
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