Soccer: Knights look on the Bright side

Kris Bright

Kris Bright has been rushed into the NZ Knights squad for tonight's game against the Mariners but Jeremy Brockie's chance has ended after just six minutes' playing time.

Coach John Adshead has included Bright - brought in as replacement for injured defender Neil Emblen for the match at North Harbour Stadium tonight. Brockie meanwhile has been left out after being used late in the loss to Sydney FC last weekend.

Adshead continues to look for his best side as he faces the only team the Knights have beaten in the A-League.

They scored twice to win that game away but have managed only two other goals this season.

"We haven't hurt teams in areas where we should," said Adshead. "We had a lot of pressure against Sydney but again couldn't score goals.

"Then, when you push forward and it breaks down - and you don't score - you get caught."

Joining Brockie on this week's not wanted list are Josh Maguire and Noah Hickey. The injured Ronnie Bull is also missing.

Bright, Steve Fitzsimmons, Xiaobin Zhang and Josh Rose make it into the squad.

"I'm still looking for my best 11 pegs to fit into 11 round holes," said Adshead. "We can look at the game against Newcastle - and the last time we played here - and say they were very average, disappointing performances.

"In other games we have done well but with no luck." Meaning no goals or points.

"It gets more difficult every week. I can never fault the players for their work-rate and commitment but we have to look at the effect we are having on the opposition.

"There is a lot of honesty within the team and a resolve to do better."

The club's fans will be hoping sooner rather than later.

Even allowing for their earlier win over the Central Coast Mariners, this will be no easy assignment.

The visitors have 12 points - nine more than the Knights - and in players such as Stewart Petrie, Andre Gumprecht, Noel Spencer and Tom Pondeljak they have the firepower to test any team.

Spencer and Petrie feature high on the goalscoring list with four each.

The Mariners were beaten 1-0 away by Newcastle last week and will be keen to bounce back to keep their play-off hopes alive.

Adshead has no doubts that unless the Knights take six points from their next two games they will be out of top-five contention.

"We would then have to start looking at next season but any decision to replace players in the interim would have to come from the board."

Emblen is already ruled out until after the Christmas break and Bull (hamstring), Frank Van Eijs (calf) and Glen Moss (back) are under injury clouds.

Moss, who hurt himself at training on Thursday, is likely however to make the bench tonight.

LINEUPS

North Harbour Stadium, 8pm today. Referee: Neil Fox

NZ Knights: Danny Milosevic, Darren Bazeley, John Tambouras, Danny Hay, Ben Collett, Simon Yeo, Xiaobin Zhang, Zenon Caravella, Cole Tinkler, Steve Fitzsimmons, Josh Rose, Naoki Imaya, Kris Bright, Glen Moss.

Central Coast Mariners: John Crawley, Wayne O'Sullivan, Noel Spencer, Michael Beauchamp, Andre Gumprecht, Dean Heffernan, Tom Pondeljak, Damien Brown, Stewart Petrie, Russell Woodruffe, Andrew Clark, Matthew Osman, Alex Wilkinson, Ian Ferguson, Danny Vukovic.