“WE'VE GOT the wind, the rain and the Phoenix” - That's a line from Yellow Fever's popular terrace chant, Wellington is Wonderful and the first two were well in evidence last night, while the latter sent the fans away happy with a first-up home win.
With a tough month ahead, including trips to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, broken only by a home match against Adelaide, it was absolutely crucial Phoenix got something from this game, preferably all three points.
Many fans were still getting started on their hot chips when Michael Ferrante was booked in the first minute. He then proceeded to turn the ball directly into the path of Victor Sikora 25 yards from goal and presented the Dutchman with a golden opportunity he was never going to squander. As Ferrante sunk to his knees, hands to head in disbelief, his skipper and other senior players rallied around him to shake the howler from his mind and encourage him to press on.
Paul Ifill's equaliser 20 minutes later was no less than he deserved for a good night's work. The short history of professional and even senior club football in New Zealand is littered with ageing English imports who come here looking for a cushy payday.
Happily, it's obvious after just two matches that neither Chris Greenacre or Ifill fall into that category. Greenacre is a class act - his play with back to goal and first touch are excellent and his experience against tough central defenders in England's second tier will stand him in great stead in this league. Ifill worked hard in all areas of the pitch, as well as opening his goalscoring account with a tidy header.
The second half had Phoenix hearts in mouths as the crossbar twice denied the visitors. Chances were less frequent at the other end and as time ticked on, a share of the points seemed the best home supporters could hope for. It was then that former Perth favourite Leo Bertos didn't just bite the hand that used to feed him; he chomped it right off.
Charging forward, Bertos won a free-kick 35 yards from goal, with most observers considering it to be a "sensible" foul by Adriano Pellegrino, stopping Bertos before he got too close to goal. But Leo picked himself up, took a ten-yard run-up and absolutely put his foot through it. The deflection off Jacob Burns was key, but the ball thundered into the net, giving Tando Velaphi no chance. After a split-second to take in what had just happened, the 10,000-strong crowd went collectively bonkers as Bertos was engulfed by his team-mates.
There was one nervous moment right at the end when a Perth shot skidded past a worrying flat-footed Mark Paston, but also defeated his left-hand upright. Time ran out. Final whistle. Three absolutely priceless points.
During the week, Leo Bertos was reminded he'd played in six matches between Phoenix and Perth - three for each club - and never been on the winning side. "That's gonna change", he replied with a wry smile. And change it did on a night when Super Leo burst the net with an absolute stunner and got Phoenix up and running in the 2009/10 A-League.
