The two greatest marksmen in Phoenix history will be on show at the Ring of Fire on Saturday. In an odd symmetry, both Shame Smeltz and Paul Ifill have scored 21 goals in a Phoenix shirt, meaning Ifill will become the club’s all-time top goalscorer if he scores against Smeltz’s Perth Glory (and past a former Phoenix ‘keeper, Danny Vukovic).

So who has been the better striker for Phoenix?  Ifill or Smeltz?

Goals to game ratio

This one is totally quantifiable.  Smeltz scored his 21 Phoenix goals in 39 matches, or a goal every 1.86 games. It’s a fantastic record which has improved even more to a goal every 1.59 games across his A-League career.  That’s simply untouchable; no-one else is scoring at better than a goal every two games.  Ifill has played 56 games for his 21 goals, making his ratio a goal every 2.66 games, which is still very respectable.

Ifill: 8/10

Smeltz: 9/10

Clinicalness

This is the hallmark of Smeltz’s game.  Give him the ball in the penalty area and chances are it’ll end up in the back of the net.  Deadly with both feet and his head in the box, he’s made a career out of being in the right place at the right time and finishing with unerring consistency. Oh how the Phoenix could have done with him this season with numerous chances spurned by wasteful finishing. Ifill’s good too, and doesn’t miss too many clear cut chances, but Smeltz is in a class of his own in this category.

Ifill: 8/10

Smeltz: 9/10

Dribbling

Ifill wins this one hands down.  His trademark in 2009/10 was picking up the ball wide on the left forty yards from goal, then carrying it on a mazey infield run to make space for a shot or pass to a team-mate.  The fear in the minds of opposition defenders was palpable and even two defenders often weren’t able to halt his progress. With ball at feet, anything seems possible and countless opportunities have been created by his sleight of foot and close control. Smeltz doesn’t run with the ball to anywhere near the same extent, often through necessity.  Dropping deep to gain possession and then turning to run at defenders isn’t his modus operandi; he’s more likely to be arrowing towards the penalty area to benefit from someone else’s trickery out wide.  Even so, more than one defender has been left in his wake.

Ifill: 8.5/10

Smeltz: 7.5/10

Pace

Ifill would be the first to admit lightning speed isn’t one of his assets.  However, he’s deceptively quick with the ball at his feet.  Smeltz is electric over ten yards, often stealing a yard on his marker to open up a goalscoring opportunity where none seems to exist.  Smeltz would win a sprint between the two over any distance from ten to one hundred metres.

Ifill: 6.5/10

Smeltz: 8/10

Strength

For a relatively slight man, Smeltz is pretty strong. This is best illustrated when he receives the ball in tight areas with centre-backs touch tight.  He very rarely gives the ball away, using his body position to perfection to shield it.  Ifill is a bigger man, who is harder to knock off the ball and uses his power to good effect in the attacking third.

Ifill: 8/10

Smeltz: 7/10

All round attacking contribution

Smeltz is what you’d call a natural goal-scorer.  He’s more likely to win the Golden Boot than the prize (if there is one) for most assists. Having said that, he takes the focus away from his team-mates who profit from the extra space on offer.  There’s a lot more to Ifill’s game and he’s most effective when he’s not playing centre-forward and given license to roam wide and in the hole behind the number nine to wreak havoc. As with Smeltz, he takes the attention away from his team-mates as opposition defenders combine to nullify his threat.

Ifill: 8.5/10

Smeltz 8/10

Importance of goals

Despite Smeltz’s goals, the Phoenix didn’t make the playoffs in his two seasons with the club.  Ten of his goals also came in matches the Phoenix didn’t win.  Paul Ifill’s goals on the other hand were the catalyst that sent the Phoenix to the playoffs in 2009/10.  Even more telling is that for the first sixteen of his goals, the Phoenix didn’t lose if Ifill scored.  Even now, they’ve lost only one game in which he’s found the back of the net.

Ifill: 9/10

Smeltz: 7/10

Availability

Smeltz missed only three games during his two seasons with the Phoenix, while Ifill has missed fourteen in his two and bit campaigns, with the bulk of those coming in a nine-week injury lay-off at the end of last season. In his first season in Wellington he played every one of the club’s thirty games.

Ifill: 8/10

Smeltz: 9/10

Big game temperament

As mentioned above, Shane Smeltz never played in a post-season game for the Phoenix.  He did however play – and score in – some big matches.  The equalising goal in the inaugural home fixture against Melbourne Victory, and his stunning winner against them at the same venue the following season will live long in the memory. Paul Ifill has played four playoff games for the Phoenix, the most recent of which was as a substitute against Adelaide in  February after two months out of the side with the aforementioned injury.  He was instrumental in the home wins over Perth and Newcastle in the 2009/10 play-offs, being a constant menace and then scoring in the penalty shoot-out against Glory and nailing the decisive second goal in the unforgettable extra-time win over the Jets.  His contribution wasn’t as significant in the Preliminary Final against Sydney that season, but no-one played well that night.

Ifill: 8.5/10

Smeltz: 7.5/10

Star quality

Smeltz won the Johnny Warren medal as the A-League’s best player in 2008/09. Ifill should have won it in 2009/10. Each has been the Phoenix player opposition coaches and players have worried most about during their time at the club and both were capable of moments of magic to justify the attention given to them.  We’ll call this one even.

Ifill: 8/10

Smeltz: 8/10

TOTALS: Ifill: 81/100 … Smeltz: 80/100

It’s Ifill, just. Will he get his nose ahead of Smeltz on the club’s goal-scoring charts on Saturday too? You wouldn’t bet against it.