Wellington Phoenix head coach Paul Temple wants his side to be scoring more goals in 2025.
The Phoenix play host to Perth Glory at Porirua Park on Saturday afternoon in their first match of the year.
The Nix have found the back of the net nine times over the opening eight rounds of the Ninja A-League season and enter the weekend in seventh place on the ladder, one point outside the top six.
Temple is happy with how his side bounced back after losing their opening three matches, but knows they have to take another step up if they’re to play finals football.
“I want to see us continue to progress in terms of how we’re trying to play,” he told media after training on Friday. “I want to see us scoring more goals.
“We’re starting to put some good performances in now and we’ve had a good December against some really strong opposition.
“But I think we’ve still got to find the right balance with the players that we’ve got, to be able to get the best out of them…and play to their strengths.
“We’re still finding that perfect balance, but what I think is working really well is we’re getting a lot of good impact off the bench from an attacking point of view and that’s helping us in that department.
“Things are progressing there but we still need to focus on the balance, get that right, and there’ll still be some little things we do tactically that I think can make differences in a game.”
Temple is happy with how the team has defended since conceding four first half goals in their season opening defeat to Western United.
The Phoenix have only let in six goals in their seven matches since, which is the equal best record in the A-League during that period.
“I kind of thing we had to [tighten up at the back]. It was not a pretty 20 minute period, but since then we’ve been pretty good in terms of goals per game conceded.
“And we haven’t had any games since that have blown up defensively for us.
“We’ve definitely rectified that side of things and we’re looking very strong and pressing better.”
The Nix had a couple of days off after last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Melbourne City and returned to training on New Year’s Day.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t much of a break for a number of players.
“It was quite crazy, after Melbourne we had a pretty bad virus go through the team so everyone was suffering a little bit.
“But we’re feeling good now and ready to roll for tomorrow.
“Amelia Abbott has picked up a really minor muscular thing so she’s not available for selection, but outside of that everyone is good.”
Perth Glory enter the round in ninth place, two points behind Wellington, and are coming off a narrow home defeat to Central Coast Mariners last weekend.
“I think they’d probably say themselves that they’ve been a little bit up and down as well,” Temple said. “They’ve had some good results and some not so good results.
“But what I know in this league is it doesn’t matter who you play against, whether you’re home or away, anyone can turn up on the day and beat anyone else.
“It’s shown that again this season, so we won’t be taking anyone lightly.
“We’re going out for three points but taking it the same as we do every other game.”
And the Phoenix are well aware of Perth’s strengths.
“They can cause you a bit of a threat with balls in behind…and the wide players for them have been creating some good opportunities.
“They set up to press a little bit high as well, so we’ve got to be wary of that when we build up and how we progress the ball through the pitch.
“It’s a team that plays a similar system to us so it’s going to be an interesting tactical battle and those individual duels and who wins them are going to be key for the game tomorrow.”
The 10th round Ninja A-League match between the Wellington Phoenix and Perth Glory is scheduled to kick-off at Porirua Park in Wellington at 4pm Saturday and will be broadcast LIVE on Sky Sport 3 in New Zealand and on Paramount+ and 10 Play in Australia.
Most recent meeting: 8 March 2024 – Perth Glory 1 Wellington Phoenix 3
All-time A-League head to head: Phoenix 2W, Glory 4W, 0D
Wellington Phoenix squad (two to be omitted): 2. Zoe MCMEEKEN, 3. Tiana JABER, 4. Mackenzie BARRY, 5. Alivia KELLY, 6. Maya MCCUTCHEON, 7. Grace JALE, 9. Olivia FERGUSSON, 10. Alyssa WHINHAM, 11. Manaia ELLIOTT, 14. Mebae TANAKA, 15. Daisy BRAZENDALE, 16. Annalie LONGO (c), 17. Ela JEREZ, 19. Liv INGHAM, 20. Emma MAIN, 21. Lara WALL, 22. Aimee DANIELI (gk), 39. Carolina VILÃO (gk).
Unavailable:8. Amelia ABBOTT (injured), 18. Ella MCCANN (injured), 23. Rebecca LAKE (injured).
Perth Glory squad (two to be omitted): 1. Casey DUMONT (gk), 2. Mischa ANDERSON, 4. Claudia VALLETTA, 5. Grace JOHNSTON, 7. Megan WYNNE, 8. Georgia CASSIDY, 9. Gabby HOLLAR, 11. Natalie TATHEM, 13. Naomi CHINNAMA, 14. Miku SUNAGA, 17. Morgan ROBERTS, 18. Isabella FOLETTA, 21. Miranda TEMPLEMAN (gk), 22. Ischia BROOKING, 23. Izzy DALTON (cc), 26. Tanika LALA, 27. Charli WAINWRIGHT, 29. Onyinyechi ZOGG (cc).
Unavailable: 6. Tijan MCKENNA (injured), 10. Susan PHONSONGKHAM (injured), 16. Bella WALLHEAD (injured), 19. Sarah O’DONOGHUE (injured), 20. Ella ABDUL MASSIH (injured), 44. Kelli BROWN (injured).
Main image: Wellington Phoenix players at training at NZCIS. Photo: Cam McIntosh/Photomac.
