Pre-Season 2018/19 - vs Victory

"More a general link-up and who is where on the pitch" - well, yeah, we did look like a bunch of strangers that just met at the pub and decided to have a kickaround after a few pints. 

Nix to play Lower Hutt next week?

Playing the Wellington Phoenix next week.. will be fun getting man marked by Steven Taylor?

— Sam Johnson (@samjohn5on) August 9, 2018

You know, that's cool. Made me smile.  Locals getting a buzz coming up against a recent Premier League player.  We could do with stronger pre-season games but this is gold.

This. Prob be quite a bit of banter too, could be entertaining if you can hear it!

And if we lose to a 10 man Lower Hutt?

Feel like it's lose lose for us personally. at this point in pre season, to play opposition as low as LH.

It was OK being born there but i'm glad I am nowhere near it anymore :)

We literally play a handfull of Central League teams in each preseason. 

Are there details of this match?

Confirmed game against Napier City Rovers as a curtain raiser to Palmerston North Marist v North Wellington. 

https://www.facebook.com/1451760901744788/posts/2118270025093869/

Well if they're happy to play curtain raisers, my lot are in a Bowl final on September 1st in Mt Maunganui

My feeling, good for locals up there. Easier travel for Napier and Nix and helps Ben Sigmund plays for North Wellington. Don't really think they are "worried" about being the curtain raiser but more it's good public relations and they get another game. 

probably is just a training game - Lower Hutt's season finished on Saturday but they do have that link with Steve Coleman working for the Academy. It's either that or Sam Johnson has been selected for the Central League XI (which wouldn't be a surprise given the number of goals he's been scoring) but I haven't seen anything at all about that this year and usually by now KCU would have started spaming social media about it

Nix just announced 3 games

Sat 18 Aug vs Lower Hutt Martin Luckie 12pm

Sat 25 Aug vs Napier Trust Arena Palmerston North 12pm

Sat 01 Sep vs. Central League Select Weka Park 2pm

Napier is in Palmerston North, curtain-raiser for the Central League playoff, 12pm kick off.

Suspect that Central League Selection will be at Weka. Lower Hutt is at Martin Luckie, think it's 12pm kick off.

Available Squad for each game

Yeah i only read the tweet not the whole article sorted now

Anyone planning to head up this way for the Napier City Rovers game at the Ring of Dirt? I'm trying to get as many locals as I know along for it. Should be a good day. Two games of footy for free.

SUPPORTERS BUS | ? The Nix in collaboration with North Wellington AFC have a 50-seat charter available for fans to head to Palmerston North and back, on Sat 25 Aug for the upcoming fixtures.

To register and for details on cost and pick up, click here: https://form.jotform.co/82247065589871

Key timings:

• Bus departs Wellington train station (platform 9) at 8.30am

• Stopover at North Wellington Clubrooms approx. 8.45am

• Arrive in Palmerston North at 11.00am at a bar/restaurant (TBC)

• Depart Central Energy Trust Arena at 5pm to return to Wellington 

• Drop off at North Wellington at 7.15pm 

• Drop off at Wellington train station (platform 9) at approx. 7.30pm

Price: $30 per person

Bentleigh had a 0-0 draw with the Victory last night, don't feel as bad not as after the FFA Cup loss to the Greens.

That's what us Aussies have been trying to tell the rest of the Fever! Bentleigh are among the best sides in the NPLs! Sure it was disappointing to lose to them, but we've just started a lot of things from scratch.

Lose to Lower Hutt and not score any goals, then push the panic button.

Certainly might help us on here put some of our doomsday predictions to bed. 

We don't know who was playing for Victory of course but Bentleigh have now gone 180 minutes against A League opposition without conceding a goal

Slight difference between pre season runaround and an actual competitive game..

We also lost to 10 men.

Hardly doomsday, but if you weren't disappointed with it then I'd be surprised.

I was a little disappointed, yes, but hardly surprised. I'm used to disappointment in the FFA Cup by now anyway.

I think we've all become desensitised to losing

Yep. There's a culture of being OK with a valiant loss in NZ. We have to stay sane somehow, I guess.

Looks like an intra-squad match so it’s win win!!!

Dylan Fox own goal...

Is Taylor playing?

yer according to twitter lineups

Anyone got a squad list? 

both teams on Nix Twitter, sports fans.

Actually don’t think it was Fox who scored own goal. Krishna with a second. 

Players that I can see.

Kurty, Taylor, Lowry, Cacace, Doyle, polish mid, Tratt, Nicholls, Singh, Krishna and Asian striker.

Team B. Sail? Durante, ?, someone called Tommy, Fenton, Rufer, William, Burns and two or three others

Nix Twitter

HALF TIME | Phoenix A with the lead over Phoenix B with an own goal and one to @Sarpreetsingh88 (2-0)

Wellington Phoenix‏  @WgtnPhoenixFC   2 hours ago

1. Kurto (GK) 2. Tratt (Trialist) 5. Lowry 8. Nichols 9. Yoo Byung Soo (Trialist) 15. Kopcynski 18. Singh 19. Doyle 21. Krishna 26. Cacace 27. Taylor

Wellington Phoenix‏  @WgtnPhoenixFC   2 hours ago

LINE UP | Here is the Starting XI for the second #Nix team featuring @LHCAFC players:

20. Sail (GK) 4. Marsh 7. Burns 10. Emmens 11. Johnson 14. Rufer 15. Williams 16. Fenton 17. Scott 22. Durante 24. Elms

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Great to see Jacob Tratt being given another opportunity by the Nix.

Anyone know anything about Korean trialist Yoo Byung Soo?

Not surprising that the "First Nix team" are ahead at half-time considering the greater attacking firepower they have.

From Twitter:

Johnson beat Taylor 1 on 1 then hit the crossbar.

Lowry came on for Hutt in H2.

'A' team played 5 across the back, with Cacace at LWB.

Yoo Byung Soo 'underwhelming' 

Wondering if Fox started for the 'A' team (late change?)

Also if the 'A' team is a real 'A' team (minus trialists), on form to date.