Soccer: Phoenix out to add to Sydney's anguish

Sydney FC coach Vitezslav Lavicka. Photo / Getty Images

The Wellington Phoenix have the chance to bounce back from two disappointing road trips and heap further misery on pre-season favourites Sydney FC when they clash at Westpac Stadium on Saturday night.

Defending champions Sydney have yet to win in five outings this season and ended the round firmly at the bottom of the Hyundai A-League table. And, perhaps just as disconcertingly for the club, their fans are voting with their feet in staying away from the Sydney Football Stadium.

Just 7558 turned up to watch them go down 3-1 to now co-leaders Adelaide United. That turnout was smaller than any who watched the Sydneysiders last season and only half of the nearly 15,000 who turned out for the corresponding fixture a year ago.

"I am disappointed but I have to say a better team beat us and deserved to win," said Sydney FC coach Vitezslav Lavicka. "When we conceded the first goal some of the players lost confidence and Adelaide never let us back into the game."

Sergio van Dijk scored inside 10 minutes to give the visitors a flying start. Mathew Leckie doubled Adelaide's lead before the break and van Dijk stretched it to three in the 54th minute. He would have had a third later but for a great save from Sydney goalkeeper Liam Reddy.

The home side grabbed a consolation from Stephan Keller on the hour.

It was no better for Melbourne Victory who have bumbled through the opening weeks which have seen the two hotly-favoured teams manage just one win between them in 10 outings.

At Bluetongue Stadium, Central Coast Mariners continued their steady start with a 2-0 win over the Victory with goals for Rostyn Griffiths (21 minutes) and Daniel McBreen (50).

Rookie referee Kurt Ams, at the centre of the controversy in Melbourne a week earlier, was again busy handing out eight yellow cards - five to the home side. Melbourne had eight shots to seven but only one on the Mariners' goal. They also led the corner count (6-4) and the possession stakes with 56 per cent but still left empty-handed.

Melbourne Heart, cruelly denied their first win by Ams a week earlier, finally grabbed their breakthrough first win beating North Queensland Fury 1-0 at the impressive AAMI Park.

Nick Kalmar's 12th minute goal was enough for the points in a game in which the Heart led the corner count 9-6 but trailed on shots 12-15 (6-9 on target).

The fortress which is the Brisbane Roar defence remains intact after four games.

While they have scored only two goals - in 1-0 wins - they have yet to concede and join Adelaide and Perth as the only unbeaten teams following their 0-0 way draw with the Newcastle Jets.

It was an even affair in which the home side played the last 10 minutes one short following Ruben Zadkovich's dismissal for a second yellow card.

The biggest crowd of the round - 10,834 - poured into nib Stadium on Sunday to watch Perth Glory hold on to beat the Phoenix 2-1. The biggest crowd in Perth last season was when Robbie Fowler was in town playing for North Queensland Fury. Last weekend he was in the Glory colours.

Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert was disappointed with the result especially as his team had more shots (15-13, 7-5 on target) and more possession than the hosts saying a couple of "poor moments" let the visitors down.

"We probably had a lot more of the ball today than we've ever had in Perth," said Herbert.

"We had some chances but we coughed up a couple of silly mistakes and were not tight enough in a couple of areas."

Back at home this week they have the chance to turn things around and give their season a kick-start.