KEY POINTS:
Composure and discipline will be keys to beating A-League leaders Adelaide United on Sunday in Wellington, Phoenix soccer coach Ricki Herbert says.
Recent evidence points to the opposite with midfielder Troy Hearfield now serving two-match concurrent suspensions on two separate charges of elbowing and head butting in the 0-1 loss to Sydney last Sunday.
Two weeks ago, skipper Andrew Durante was sent off in the final minutes of the loss to Queensland and in his absence, the Roar scored their winner in a 3-2 result.
The red card meant Durante was suspended for the next match as was Jon McKain for picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in the Roar match. Despite this, Phoenix went on to beat Newcastle Jets 3-0 at home.
Hearfield, Durante, McKain, Karl Dodd, Manny Muscat and Richard Johnson have between them collected 23 yellow cards this season.
At the sharp end of the season with one round left after this weekend, Phoenix, on 25 points and Central Coast Mariners, on 28, are locked in a battle for the fourth and final playoff spot.
Both teams' final matches are against Adelaide and second-placed Melbourne Victory.
With no fewer than two wins needed to remain in contention for a play-offs spot, Herbert said he was confident his team had learned a lesson from last week where "indiscipline and a silly moment" contributed to the loss in a match they had dominated.
He predicted an intense encounter saying "it could come down to Adelaide wanting to win the minor premiership and us trying to get into the top four".
Herbert did not think that Adelaide, playing their fifth game in 15 days on Sunday following on from a 0-0 draw last night with the Roar, were likely to be fatigued.
Herbert will have to employ a "mix and match" approach to his line-up in Hearfield's absence and with Durante and striker Adam Kwasnik, both nursing hamstring injuries.
"Durante probably doesn't have a lot of chance of playing on Sunday while Adam will have to train 100 per cent during the week to get in. I rate him a 50 per cent chance," Herbert said.
" We've got the personnel we got, so obviously there will some changes to the side and there could be one or two new faces in the squad."
One advantage Phoenix will have is they play the last match of the round.
" We will know what we have to do on Sunday with the other teams going in before us so it's not going to be for the want of trying this week.
"The team are keen for victory and if that doesn't get us into the playoffs, there'll be nothing better than to beat Adelaide anyway." Herbert said Phoenix owed Adelaide after losing 0-6 in their last encounter.
In the circumstances, it could be time to throw caution to the wind but the team needed to have an element of control to their games.
"If we don't do that, Adelaide will blast another six past us - but we are also conscious three points are the only thing that will keep us in the mix and we need to get that balance right."
Ben Sigmund who is likely to replace Durante in the heart of the defence alongside Dodd said the team needed to adopt an attacking mindset and take it to Adelaide.
"We need to get a strong start, come out and score an early goal. If we do, then the game is in our hands.
"We've done well at home and I think we'll go well this week."
- NZPA
