R13 vs CCM | Sat 4th Jan | 7:00pm | RoF/SS7 | Kids Go Free

wasn’t it 7,201?

Two points, 

One: on Stuff this morning there's 3 stories about the NZ cricket tewam getting their arse served up by Australia and not one mention on our result.

Two: spot to four CCM fans that came over to the game. They deserve a mention for coming all this way with what's happening back in their area. They are happy that not only NZ are sending firefighters to help, but the USA is too.. Travel safe home and be safe when there CCM fans.

Wondering same. I know he apparently picked up a groin strain after his first start, but if you were a highly motivated very experienced footballer, wouldn't your fitness be further advanced by now.

A case of "I'm only really here on a temporary basis because I couldn't get a gig elsewhere, but at the first opportunity I'm back to The Championship when the body is right"?

Speculation of course, but is interesting that Ball who has spent most of his career at a level or two below (League One), on lower wages, and with a much lower profile, seems to have come to Wellington highly motivated and energised, like he wants to play for the Nix long term.

Suspect Hooper's fitness or lack of, will play a big part in how Nix's season finishes up.

Don't know where you are seeing the Stuff stuff, I've gone on now after 7am and there is neither on the front page. So Stuff must hate both! But really, the front page is about what is popular. So it isn't Stuff fault if a Nix article isn't front page news,

Click on Sport and can see two Nix articles, a "professionalism in sport" opinion piece, Eli Just opinion piece and a FA Cup story. 
We have both Rollo and Voerman that write football articles, if you want to criticise Stuff, it's the smaller local stuff that could use more coverage, but it's not lack of stories of Nix stories. It's just algorithms to if they are front page or not. 

Great Nix first half. Mariners were real good in second, but Ball limping off changed everything.

Looked a bit leggy to me in second half - after that huge effort last week.

Whatever have no doubt we'll sharpen up with another week at home. 

Right hand side column usually has the latest, not just the headlines. Oh and by the way everyone, currently we are 4th - nose bleed time.

Touches for first goal...

11:45 -Devere picks up loose pass near left-hand touchline

Devere - 3 touches

Devlin - 1 touch

Cacace - 1 touch

Steinmann - 1 touch

McCowatt - 3 touches

Devere - 2 touches

Taylor - 2 touches

Davilla - 3 touches

Payne - 2 touches

Taylor - 2 touches

Devere - 3 touches

Devlin -  2 touches

Devere - 2 touches

Steinmann - back from where Devere originally won the ball - 4 touches driving forward making decisive forward pass over halfway line

Ball - allows the ball to run, defender gets slight nudge on the ball,  Ball only makes 1 touch which is the pass through the backline into space for 

Payne - 1 touch to make cross level with penalty spot

Hooper - 1 touch into back of the net

12:27 - GOAL

42 seconds of possession, 34 touches involving ALL 10 outfield players

Considering his fitness I thought hooper played well last night, for arguments sake if that was him at 70% can’t wait to see him at 100%, hope David ball is Algood, hurt our attack when he went off, 

yes one of the best team-wide orchestrated goals I’ve see in many decades of watching football across all continents. Some of les miserables on here could do well to reflect on that. Sure things fell apart in the second half but Central Coast have some class players and have very unlucky in some of the games they have played this season; they are not the easybeats that some seem to think.

The base of midfield combo is critical to the Nix's play - any combination of Steinemann / Devlin / Rufer seems to gel ok for us. But, while I wouldn't go as far as saying he was out of his depth (he's good enough to learn from the experience), TAWH's combo with Steinemann didn't really fire. 

Another interesting challenge for Talay and co is how to get the best out of Hooper and Davila when they're on the park together. Again, on last night's evidence, that's another combo that needs some work, particularly if Ball is out for any length of time (incidentally, he's clearly proved during this run why a younger guy like Waine still needs time to get up to speed).

But, these are all massively good problems to have. We are in 4th and I think we're looking like a genuine contender behind Sydney.

This is spot on.  Despite the first half being our better half, I feel like Davila out wide just didn't work (although not as disastrous as game one).  Davila's influence in the middle has been huge for us this season and we lost that.

Really think some are under estimating Hoopers contribution. Spent time last nite watching him and he was continually making runs and giving leads that would take defenders with him.Both him and Ball got themselves into great positions only for the player with the ball to either not see the lead or as often happens leave it to late to make the pass.Dont think its a case of Talay not knowing how to use various players but that its a new squad and forming partnerships and combinations takes time.That first goal showed what this team can do but you cant expect that everytime.

The movement is definitely there, but looks like he's carrying a bit of weight I thought. There were a couple of occasions in the first half you could see the ball wasn't given to either of them quick enough. Runs across their back line and into space. It'll come. I'm confident of that. 

think this is very true.

Talay needs to change his starting shape to get all three involced. something like how CCM started with 4-2-3-1 would be more suited. Same back four, Devlin, Steinman as the CDM's with Uly at the CAM with Sotirio/Piscopo/Ball as the two wide men with Hooper up front.

two things

-at the stadium im sure they said the crowd was 7,201, but I’m hearing it reported elsewhere that it was 8,201. Can anyone confirm? 
-haven’t been to a nix game in 2 years and I loved it! Great to get the win and good to see some delicious beer on offer rather than speights or whatever it was before. However, the fever zone is way quieter with fewer people than I remember. Perhaps that’s a blasphemous thing to say in this forum and maybe I’m wrong, but I seem to remember it roaring and even having a drummer just a few years ago. Maybe people are still away on holiday. Anyway, loved the game and don’t want to sound ungrateful, was just surprised.

I definitely heard, and saw 8,201 yesterday. Hopefully it's the first of many more for you! 

Hi Steph. Great that you enjoyed it. At the ground it was definitely shown on screen 8201. There was a drummer in the zone, drummed with chants but as you note, it wasn't noisy. Sounds like last week was very noisy.

Remember 8201 announced at the stadium too

cool thank you, happy to be corrected on both grounds ?

First half was great. At one point the defense got applause playing out from the back. The first goal was champagne attacking football.

Second half was harder to watch, but we kept the score line and got the 3 points.

So Ball is out for our next game? 

There was a live score update story during the game, a match report filed on fulltime and an updated version on David Ball's injury after the press conference, which is currently on the Stuff homepage at 2:46pm the day after the game, and there's also an interview with Gary Hooper which you can read here https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/118591672/more-to-come-from-wellington-phoenixs-star-striker-gary-hooper

If you want to look for Phoenix news there's an A-League tab, 12 Phoenix related stories since last Sunday.

He was out with a serious injury for a long time before he came to the Nix, that sort of thing can mess you up biomechanically and lead to further injuries when returning to football, particularly when you are already lacking match fitness. It's happened to 100's of players before, its even simulated in Football Manager. Apparently he requested to play for the reserves to get some more minutes, that sounds like someone that is motivated to me. Given the time he has played, and his goal contributions, it feels as though the club is doing the right thing.

The Fever are always a bit down for the first game back after Xmas, people away, souls destroyed about having to return to work in the next week plus our drummer was away so the replacement was challenged. None of it helped by a nervy game.

Nothing you said seems unfair, it's almost a tradition.

As for the game I'm just stoked we won it, plenty of Phoenix sides of the past would have bottled that, particularly with DeVere looking like he was a complete passenger for the last 15 with an injury.

I think Shirts Off will suffice!

There hasn't been a live score update for any of the other games, what made them do it this weekend? Rollo and voerman do a great job of covering the nix, but it does feel like pointless other stories get priority. It should be on the main page. 

second goal given to Davila not Ball. Faint but deliberate touch on way through.

^strange..is reaction was as if he had missed it and was frustrated he had.

Its Stuff. Pointless other stories is what they are all about.

Hooper just seems like kind of a flat personality, to be honest - seemed quite happy when he scored!

Either way, will only be here this season. Let's hope he helps us to the finals.

New year, new partnership with Tribe. There used to be live updates every week via Opta until this season. If you're not a fan of the volume of Stuff's football/Phoenix coverage, I'd hate to think what you make of the other guys.

I saw on several websites that they'd given it to Davila. Is there a dubious goals panel? If I were David Ball I'd be feeling slightly aggrieved, especially after some great turns to beat the Mariners defenders!

The upside for Ball would be that he's credited with an assist and now he leads the league in that respect...

assist of the season.....

It's being reviewed tomorrow by FFA I believe. 

Phoenix said on twitter they're looking into it and will make sure it's rectified.

That's good news then.

Even though he's been laying them on for other's, I'm sure a fantastic finish like that he'd like to keep for himself. 

He's such a laid back person and a real team man though, I don't think it would phase him too much either way...

goal now credited to Ball.