Nix vs No Fans United, 9th Oct, 7pm

Manny is looking excellent, just where he left off from last season!

Probably would have taken the point before kick-off, so I guess it's not all bad. But given the injury to Ifill, I'm not sure there's so much reason to be happy...

Thought siggy showed some good pace!!

If you want any angst from me it will be about how we will fare against the Tards, Bling and Roar based on the games last night.

Greenacre must get hacked off with continually winning the ball in the air only for it to be all for nought.

First Ass-Man to score a goal though.

Gutted about conceding the late goal, but a point away from home is a decent result in this league. It is good to be back!

Already looking forward to getting wired into Newcastle at the ring of fire on Sunday. See you all at the Bencher.

Lets hope that was not our best performance. The problem I have is that we are the same as last season- players have not improved. We still have people like Locky and Brown that contribute nothing to the team. Sure, Locky got a couple of crosses in, but he is just not good enough. Apart from Brown nearly scoring and heading a ball back to Paston, he was invisible.
There are many that probably think we should have got 3 points, but I'm happy with one as football wise, we were not in it.Paston was our best player by a mile,and Manny also played well. Durante was lucky to stay on the park as he should have got a yellow earlier.
If Mac had not been up fron for GCU they would probably have won it easily.
One thing was obvious to me, we just don't have any pace.
Sanchez looked like a footballer, and I reckon he will be good for us.

For a match that no one gave us a chance, ya got to be happy with this, still how may times have the phoenix blown a lead in the last few minutes over the years.

Back to season 2, trying to defend a 1 nil lead from 1/2 time.

Yes, I'm sure Ricki's instructions were to go out and park the bus. Get your blinkers off - injuries obviously scuttled any chance of us going forward and trying to kill them off and GC played quite well to get back into it.

The inability to hold possession or complete a pass were unlikely to be an instruction from the bench.

Think Smith is definitely going to be needed for us.

Is the Gold Coast team the ugliest side in the league?

what formations were the teams playing?

Nix a 442 or 433/4231?

CGU a 433?

Not a bad effort today. Much adversity but we got a point, we're on the board in the new season so let's celebrate that we are still a club and we have got some playoffs to get to :)

what happened with the ward red card? none of the match reports seem to mention it. Was it 2 yellows or straight red? we cant afford him suspended for long.

red card?! never saw one....he got a yellow...

oh? a-league match centre has got him down as a 90th min red card
90"Nick Ward Wellington Phoenix FC red card

Can someone confirm this??

Save your powder for those games, you will get the chance to unload (having watched those 3 teams as well)

yeah it was a yellow......only two in the entire game.....pleased we got away with a point given the work Paston had to do....four injuries though, Lia, Ifil, Paston and Sanchez. Not a good start to the season.

Agreed. The last thing we needed with our squad numbers was more injuries. Keep going at this rate and we won't have enough fit players to make up a first XI.

SACK JEFF VADER!!!

Glory away in 2 weeks will be the first major test, they looked quite good last night.

thank christ for that! the a league phoenix site is still stating he got a red but none of the reports described it so must be an error. a relief.

Ward got the yellow for time wasting

A League hilights show tonight had Ward with a Red! Did he get an earlier yellow? He definitely got a yellow in the 90th for time wasting.

A league site shows only a single yellow

I liked how the commentators said thanks to Terry. Wonder if Terry was watching the game?

They did however annoy me a bit when they kept going on and on about how Greenie was the eldest player on the pitch!!! So what if he is? And was he the first assistant coach to score a goal? Hope he keeps banging them in!

Even this seems to be confused as to whether Ward got a red or yellow. Top half says Red at 90' and bottom next to name says he was subbed on at 49' and got a yellow.
http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/aleague/matchcentre/Gold-Coast-United-FC-v-Wellington-Phoenix-FC-Hyundai-A-League/2090

interview with Greenie talking to everyones favourite radio sport jock. go to 7'30" in.

http://www.radiosport.co.nz/ThisWeek/21745.wma

ESPN has him as receiving a red as well ...

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/gamecast/_/id/327367?cc=3436

Damn, if he really did recieve a red, thats another player out of Sunday's game.

he didnt. Unless after the final whistle and coverage was finished

It's really strange, they also said he got a red on SKY's A-league highlights show last night. Wonder if something happened after the full-time whistle? They cut our coverage straight after the game finished so hard to tell.

The other possible scenario is that it was a simple mistake on the original match report, and everyone latched onto it without realising it was a mistake.

Damn it wheres Piney when you need him, he'll know, he knows everything ???????   

I saw the interview with Ricki after the game and he never mentioned a red card.

Nathan says definitely Yellow, no Red.