Soccer: Greenacre happy to score scrappy goals again

Chris Greenacre. Photo / Getty Images

Chris Greenacre has made a career out of scrappy goals and he hopes the two he bagged for the Phoenix on Friday night signal a change in his fortunes.

The 32-year-old striker was admired for his work ethic last season but scored just six goals in 24 games - and few of them were the toe-pokes and close-range headers he became known for during his 15-year professional career in England.

In the 3-3 draw with Gold Coast United on Friday, Greenacre stabbed his first in from about two metres before an excellent close-range volley gave his side a 3-1 lead.

"I made a living out of scoring goals like [Friday] night," he said. "But since I've arrived in Wellington, those scrappy goals have dried up. If anything, we tended to score spectacular ones last season. I've not had many tap-ins. Hopefully that has changed.

"As a striker, you just want that first goal in a new season because it settles the nerves so I was fortunate to get two and I could have had a hat-trick. All I can do now is keep putting myself in good positions and hope the chances fall my way."

A change in personnel should help. Greenacre was often alone up front last season, which is not his strength. He's on the smaller side of small, at under six-foot and 80kg.

The arrival of Dylan Macallister has freed Greenacre up to play more of a supporting role and the pair appeared to play with a good understanding against Gold Coast. But it was not up front where the Phoenix's problems lay on Friday. Aside from the dreadful weather and pitch conditions, which meant the game bordered on a farce at times, the Phoenix were carved up too easily at the back, particularly down each flank, and they also gave the visitors too much space in the centre of the park.

Although Ricki Herbert's side were disappointed to concede two late goals, Gold Coast deserved at least a draw.

Greenacre pointed to the weather as one of the reasons for their troubles as the back - Andrew Durante slipped to allow Jason Culina to score one goal - but also said they would put things right.

"As a unit, we were rock solid last year," he said. "We're not hitting the panic button. We know what we are capable of. I wouldn't want to play against our back four each week."

Wellington's was the second-best defence in the league last year and the arrival of Jade North will add more bite and depth at the back. North was on international duty with Australia last week and might not be released by his Norwegian club until the end of the month.

North cited escaping the cold of Norway as one of the reasons he wanted a move from Tromso but he would not have been impressed by the weather at the Cake Tin on Friday night.

The game came close to being called off. Herbert said afterwards he thought it should have been but Greenacre was glad it went ahead.

"The worst thing that could have happened was for the game to be called off," he said. "It was tough with the first-round bye anyway. The pre-season was already extended because of that so to then have a game called off would have put us even further behind."

The captains were offered the chance at halftime to call the game off but both agreed to continue. Wellington would have claimed the points had the game ended then because they led 2-1. The Phoenix host Central Coast next Sunday.