NZ Sports: Phoenix aiming for a win to end the season

24

The Wellington Phoenix coach Des Buckingham is hoping for a win to wrap up the teams up and down season this weekend.

Sitting seventh on the ladder five points behind sixth placed Western Sydney, the Wellington side have no chance of making the A-League playoffs.

[smartslider3 slider=3]
Phoenix’s Dylan Fox (L) celebrates a goal during the A-League – Phoenix v Newcastle football match. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Des Buckingham said there’ll be no change in approach for the club in their final game against the Brisbane Roar on Sunday.

“We finished the back-end of last season on a bit of a downward spiral, four losses back to back, whereas this season’s finishing on a positive in terms of results,” he said.

The Phoenix took a 3-0 away win over the Melbourne Victory and had a fighting 1-1 draw with competition leaders Sydney FC gaining the side seven points from their last three matches.

Buckingham said although the team has finished the season on a positive note their lack of consistency is an area which needs to be addressed.

“The biggest noticeable thing for us this year has been especially the back line.

“We’ve been unable to field a very similar or the same back line for a lot of the games we’ve had and that’s quite an important area,” he said.

Despite loosing Jacob Tratt, influential midfielder Roly Bonevacia and striker Shane Smeltz Buckingham said with a few adjustments the team is ready to go for next year.

Buckingham and Greenacre have led the side to six wins and six losses since taking over coaching when Ernie Merrick resigned eight weeks into the season.

The pair will be interviewed separately next week for the head coach role.

-RNZ

- Advertisement - [smartslider3 slider=4]