A-League football: Wellington Phoenix s defence shines in win over Perth Glory nzherald.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nzherald.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
But while there wasn’t much they could do about that, the second goal came after Payne attempted to clear a loose ball and missed, leaving Barbarouses with plenty space to run into and fire home a shot. It was far from the first individual error they have made at the back this season – all of the defensive unit, which also includes centre backs Luke Devere and Joshua Laws, and left back James McGarry, have had their blemishes, and they’re yet to keep a clean sheet – and Payne acknowledged they have to do better. “I think this year as a unit and as a team as a whole we feel we re very close, and we re very disappointed in ourselves and how we ve conceded goals and how we ve lost matches, but we also know that we ve created a lot of chances, and we ve been there or thereabouts, or by far the better team, in the majority of our matches.
Stuff football scribes Phillip Rollo and Andrew Voerman have taken a look at some burning questions.
Ashley Feder/Getty Images
The Wellington Phoenix celebrate Ulises Dávila’s opening goal against the Central Coast Mariners.
The Wellington Phoenix got their first win of the season on Sunday against the Mariners and have four points from a possible 12 – is that a fair reflection of their efforts?
Phillip Rollo: Can’t argue with it. They were robbed when Alex Rufer was wrongly sent off against Macarthur FC last month, but the two points they lost by drawing that one were gained when they struck late, despite Central Coast Mariners’ second half dominance, to register their first win in a classic smash and grab.