Soccer: Winless Victory pin hopes on defeating Phoenix

Ricki Herbert. Photo / Mark Mitchell

A Melbourne Victory team still chasing their first win of the A-League season is a dangerous proposition for Ricki Herbert and the Wellington Phoenix as they line up for tomorrow's fourth-round battle.

Herbert is again struggling to put out what he would consider a first-choice selection but will make do with what he has and look for another competitive showing.

The Victory cross the Tasman with two draws and a loss so far this season to sit two points below the Phoenix in the Hyundai competition. But given their talent there is the feeling they are an explosion waiting to happen.

In 12 meetings of the two clubs, the Victory have won four, the Phoenix two and six have been drawn. Melbourne go into this game on the back of a scoreless draw with cross-town rivals Melbourne Heart while the Phoenix have returned from Perth where they fell 1-0 in a gritty display.

That came at further cost to Herbert with influential right side player Manny Muscat copping a one-match suspension.

He joins the injured quartet of Lucan Pantelis, Mirjan Pavlovic, Vince Lia and Paul Ifill as "no shows" for this game but Herbert does have Tim Brown back after he missed the long trip through suspension.

Melbourne have a talented side with most interest in the performance of Marco Rojas on his return to the ground where he first caught the eye. His departure to Melbourne was a cruel blow for the Phoenix fans who had claimed him as their own and thrown their support behind him.

In a team which also boasts big names like Archie Thompson, Carlos Hernandez, Danny Allsopp and Adrian Leijer (who too returns from an early-season suspension to play his 100th A-League game), Rojas continues to hold his head high and has not been intimidated.

The Phoenix fans will be happy if he is not so prominent tomorrow.

In opening their season with a draw and a win - that at the ground where they have seldom tasted defeat - the Phoenix have again showed their dogged determination and ability to accumulate points to the extent they sat in fourth place after the opening three weeks and will be looking for more of the same in this one.

A crowd of at least 2637 tomorrow would see the club reach an aggregate A-League home attendance of 500,000.

A-League

Wellington Phoenix v Melbourne Victory

Westpac Stadium

Tomorrow 4.30pm (live SS1)

Referee: Peter Green (Australia)