Ricki Herbert's boldness in making changes was rewarded with a hard-fought 2-1 home win over A-League strugglers Sydney FC at Westpac Stadium on Saturday night.
After a drab first half in which neither goalkeeper - Danny Vukovic in his first start for the Phoenix and Liam Reddy who filled the
stop-gap role at the Wellington club with aplomb last season - had to make a save, the Phoenix, at home after two losses on the road, found something closer to the form shown in last season's late charge to the play-offs.
Herbert had to make changes - Vukovic in for the injured Mark Paston and Manny Muscat taking injured Vince Lia's midfield role - but he also benched Daniel and Dylan Macallister who had started in Perth a week earlier.
In came Leo Bertos and soon-to-be-star Nick Ward.
Although he was in town after his much-anticipated arrival, Socceroos defender Jade North missed out but could be named in the team to play Melbourne Victory away on Wednesday night.
The Phoenix began well enough with an eighth-minute chance when Paul Ifill worked well to pull the ball back to Bertos but his header found the crossbar and bounced away.
Three minutes later the roles were reversed with Bertos turning provider from their first corner but Ifill's shot from just outside the penalty area was just wide.
There was little to excite the 8453 fans for the rest of the first half as play became scrappy. Too much possession was squandered by both sides, with sloppy passing and a lack of direction.
The supposed big names in Vitezslav Lavicka's much-touted but under-achieving Sydney side - Bruno Cazarine, Hiorfumi Moriyasu, Stuart Musialik and Sung-Hwan Byun - showed glimpses of their best but without ever being a constant threat.
The Phoenix defence, well led by the central pairing of Andrew Durante and Ben Sigmund, had an armchair ride for much of the game while Vukovic, after a couple of early tremors, settled and was rarely tested.
The deadlock was broken early in the second spell when, from the fourth of their five corners, referee Chris Beath ruled Cazarine had fouled Sigmund. Ifill promptly sent Reddy the wrong way from the spot.
Lavicka went to his bench 65 minutes in. He was rewarded within two when the visitors split the Phoenix defence and Mark Bridge found Cazarine who scored his first goal for the club.
That joy was short-lived as at the other end a tireless Chris Greenacre played a neat one-two with Ward who unleashed a great shot which ripped into the top left of Reddy's goal.
Encouraged by that, the home side lifted their urgency, won more than their share of 50-50 balls and wound the clock down in their 22nd unbeaten league game at the stadium.
"I thought we were really good tonight," said Herbert.
"I think we got back to what this team is about. There was good energy.
"Paul [Ifill] and Leo [Bertos] went the journey tonight which they haven't done or haven't been able to do [in the past couple of matches].
"There were a few players who put their hands up tonight and proved a few critics wrong which was good."
Despite the loss - and with his team yet to win as they attempt to defend their Hyundai A-League title - Lavicka said he felt there were some positives.
"I was pretty happy because when I compare it to our last performance against Adelaide we improved," he said. "In the first half we were defensively solid and compact.
"The second half we conceded the penalty early but we equalised and that's positive because the team has shown good character.
"I have to say the Phoenix' second goal was brilliant."
Nick Ward of the Phoenix takes a shot at goal while under pressure from Hirofumi Moriyasu of Sydney. Photo / Getty Images
Ricki Herbert's boldness in making changes was rewarded with a hard-fought 2-1 home win over A-League strugglers Sydney FC at Westpac Stadium on Saturday night.
After a drab first half in which neither goalkeeper - Danny Vukovic in his first start for the Phoenix and Liam Reddy who filled the
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