Oliver Sail’s performances in goal have piqued the interest of rival A-League club Western United.
Goalkeeper Oli Sail has been impressive since he came into the Wellington Phoenix’s starting lineup four matches ago – and at least one other team has taken notice. Coach Ufuk Talay confirmed in his pre-match press conference ahead of Monday night’s trip to Western Sydney Wanderers that Western United – coached by former Phoenix boss Mark Rudan – had enquired about the services of the stopper, who would be considered a local player and not take up a visa spot. It’s all above board – players are allowed to speak to other clubs and other clubs to players once they’re in the final six months of their contract – but the Phoenix would be loath to lose a player they’ve nurtured for seven years, and it’s a reminder they have a fair bit of contracting to do themselves.
“I’m very pleased,” coach Ufuk Talay said. “I think the boys showed a lot of character this evening against Newcastle. Confidence can be low at times, especially when you’re not winning games, but I thought the boys were very disciplined. “We defended well, and I think Newcastle had a lot of ball but not in areas where they could hurt us, so it was a shift in character and most importantly we also got a clean sheet.
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Ben Waine celebrates with Alex Rufer after scoring from outside the box to double the Phoenix’s lead.