Football: Phoenix give Aucklanders reason to show up

Andrew Durante celebrates a goal with Michael McGlinchey and Rolieny Bonevacia. Photo / Getty Images

This was just the type of advertisement the Wellington Phoenix needed.

When they're in hot form the crowds flock to watch them and given they're playing a home-away-from-home game against Central Coast at Eden Park this weekend, their 3-1 victory over Newcastle on Saturday night came at the perfect time.

Ernie Merrick's Phoenix have scored eight goals in their past two outings and the lowly Mariners, who have struggled this season, represent a great opportunity for Wellington to bank another three points this Saturday.

Playing in Auckland provides the Phoenix with a chance to showcase their brand in New Zealand's largest sporting market, while they can help line their coffers with strong ticket sales.

"I'd love to see a big crowd at Eden Park," Merrick said. "We love coming up there. We've beaten teams there and one was called West Ham and they're not a bad outfit. So we want to go up there, we want to play the Mariners and we want to win and we want a big crowd behind us."

Merrick is of course referring to the Phoenix's last trip to Auckland when they beat English Premier League side West Ham 2-1 during July's Football United Tour.

In Nathan Burns, the Phoenix also boast the A-League's leading goal-scorer and he added his eighth goal of the summer during a six-minute blitz that secured Wellington's victory over the Jets across the Tasman on Saturday.

Down 1-0 as the clock ticked past 72 minutes, Wellington flicked the switch and by the 78th, they were ahead 3-1.

Goals to Burns, Michael McGlinchey and Roy Krishna did the trick and showed how lethal the Phoenix can be when they turn it on.

"I was really impressed with the boys," Merrick said. "We talked about playing good quality football as well as getting a good result away from home.

"Newcastle kept us on our toes. They're a good team."

Krishna's strike, a thunderbolt from distance, was an instant contender for goal of the season and it marked the third time in as many games the Fijian international had made his way on to the score sheet.

"I thought that was an outstanding goal," Merrick said.

The Phoenix also welcomed back injured men Vince Lia (calf) and Louis Fenton (shoulder) and they provided good impact from the bench.

One of the most pleasing things for Merrick was the way his side kept their belief despite being down on the scoreboard.

"I knew if we scored one we'd be a good chance of scoring more and that's exactly what happened."

The result left the Phoenix firmly in fifth place on the A-League ladder and the top five sides have opened up a notable gap on the chasing pack.

The top six teams make the playoffs in the 10-team league but the Phoenix will want to aim for a top-four position to give themselves a better opportunity for success in the post-season.