Wellington Phoenix v Melbourne Heart
Sunday 17th October 5:00pm
It‘s payback time! After defeat in Melbourne, Phoenix look to inflict some Yellow Fever on Heart as the new-boys make their first ever trip to Wellington.
With each away-day disappointment for Wellington Phoenix, the home games become increasingly important. So, yet again, it-s time for the Fever Zone to do what they do best: create an amazing atmosphere that will spur their side on to three more points.
It-s no coincidence that Wellington only win in front of their own supporters, and no other set of Hyundai A-League fans can claim to be a twelfth man in the way that Wellington-s can.
Despite being unable to buy a win away from home, Wespac Stadium is so hard to visit that, at the venue, Wellington boast the longest unbeaten run in the history of the Hyundai A-League.
It is their home form and their home form alone that has kept them within touching distance of the front-running pack. Defeat to Gold Coast United in their latest Hyundai A-League match continued a winless away run that stretches back to February.
At home though, they are almost unstoppable. So far in this Hyundai A-League season, North Queensland Fury, Sydney FC and Central Coast Mariners have been sent packing from impenetrable Fortress Westpac with nothing to show for their efforts.
Now, the next challengers enter the arena in the hope of bringing to an end Phoenix-s amazing run. And they are strangers to these parts…
In a season of debuts for the new-boys, Sunday marks the first time that Melbourne Heart will play a Hyundai A-League game outside of Australia.
Having yet to pick up a win away from home in their inaugural campaign, Wellington is hardly a place the Heart will go with oodles of confidence, especially since their last away game – a trip to Brisbane – resulted in a 4-0 drubbing.
Still, what a story it would be if Westpac Stadium was the place that they picked up their first ever away win. Stranger things have happened, and Heart certainly have the ability to beat Wellington. You only need to go back to Week 7 for proof of such a thing.
In front of a buzzing AAMI Park crowd, the stripes scored a 2-1 win against Ricki Herbert-s men – their second home win on the spin. If they are to match that result when they visit Wellington this Sunday, they-ll need to show the same determination that secured their historic win over big brothers Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park last weekend.
On that epic night, Melbourne Heart finally and indisputably earned their stripes. A scalp like that not only gave the red and white army bragging rights within the Victoria pubs – until the next derby match at least – but also landed Heart well and truly on the Hyundai A-League map. Make no mistake, anyone who didn-t take the newcomers seriously will certainly do so now.
Fever Zone, your side is ready to put on another winning performance for you, but, as usual, they need you to be at your most vocal and boisterous if they are to come away with all three points.
So get your ticket today and get ready to show Melbourne Heart that a trip to Westpac Stadium is something to fear. It-s time to get your own back on Heart for that defeat in Week 7.
