R15 vs CCM | Sat 14 Jan | 7:35pm | RoF | with added Wee Nix and 12 Pubs

Win and we move to 7th as well as putting space between us and CCM.  Lose and we drop to 9th.

Krishnas out - start Smeltzy & Watson.  Rogerson on the bench for when Smeltz's fitness has abandoned him.

Lia is back after serving his one match suspension for his 5th yellow.  Is Wee Mac available yet.  If he is, it poses a selection headache for Buckingacre.

Who do we drop?  All I know is the surge up the ladder must start now.  I want to see 3 wins from 3 matches against CCM this season.  They had their chances against Sydney (R14) so expect a tough match.

This is a fudgeing important game.

If I was to describe the Phoenix's season with a song title, it would be this one

CCm played well at home against Syd FC, if their defence had more cohesion (and had Ferreira converted the penalty) the result would have easily been in their favour.

I hope more then 5k turn up to the game.

I hope we win

COYN

need to win a couple to get that kinda traction.

we need at least 7 points from the next three home games or the season is dead.

Please Nix, just don't lose to the Mariners. I beg of you.

Decent crowds for any of the three games would help the cause for keeping games at home. I expect a lowish crowd hever for this game, and reality is, even for Tuesdays. But the last game against the Roar, if we could get a win against CCM & at least a draw against the Victory, could well be a decent crowd. Fingers crossed and even though I am and have been against the travelling Circus, we reap what we sow if local Wellington fans can't be arsed to actually show up. It frustrates me. 10 years we have had the privilege of our very own professional football team. Something we should never ever get complacent about. I think to some extent we have and this year - 2017 - we need to sort that out and start showing up in  numbers again. It might not be great on the field, we cannot fix that, the club has to. But we can fix up the numbers attending. 

Time to Rise up and be counted.

I've juggled two shifts to attend the next two games as well as booking annual leave on the rest of our games this season. I dare everyone else to do the same or just make the effort to come along. Let's prove the FFA, The others whom knock us fans, wrong! 

I'll be driving down straight after work from Palmy on the 17th, driving back and going to work the next day. That's doing my bit.

Mariner win I hope.

We need the points as well

The yellow-shirt-squatting-on-a-licence derby

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrivals

Very good interview with Domey on Radio Sport just now. Enthusiastic, up front, sensible...

i can only come to 2 out of the 3 home games, not sure which ones yet most likely be the ccm and roar but i also like a good nix v victory match so not sure which way i will go.

Test match starts at the Basin Reserve on Thursday.  It could finish by Saturday but if not people may choose to spend their sporting $ at the cricket and not come to the Phoenix.  If only there was some sort of cross code promotion to get good crowds to both games.  

#BlackcapstoPhoenixmatch

#cricket&footballworktogether

Anyone got a link to the domey chat?

https://www.yellowfever.co.nz/categories/wellingto...

Time to stop with everything else and just fudging win by taking your fudging chances Nix. Then back it up with at least a draw against victory. Give the fair weather fans a reason to come back.

I agree.  It often feels like groundhog day.  If only we'd taken our chances.  Might as well copy the posts from the last match thread into this one if that's the case.

From the OP, this is my song for the season

having attended every wellington-based game since day 1, I must admit to be thinking that if they don't put on a decent show and beat CCM then its throw-the-towel-in-day. Will probably keep on going but recent games have left me feeling seriously underwhelmed with the whole thing

Well well, it turns out I have business in Welly this weekend! I have family commitments but if I can avoid those, I might be seeing you (and Smeltzy) at the Ring of Earthquake Damage.

Too right.  Fan for life.

Including ulcer, high blood pressure and Post Match Stress Disorder.

Don't forget alcoholism

Selection is going to be very interesting.

Will they drop Roly to bench with Vinnie back?
Will Finkler be there? Wee Mac?

Doubt it - probably Roly will be pushed a bit further up.

2 outta 3 ain't bad - Tada Boosh !! 

Kinda ironic, the words to that song could be a classic up in the zone because it sums up how a few fans feel about the Nix! Thanks for making 2 of the games, that's awesome!

Good Job Doloras. Hope it pans out as you hope.

PS: Instead of playing side by side, I would suggest Smeltz up front and Watson just behind him as he has better legs at this stage. Watson is a deceptive runner who might look slow but is actually quite quick.

Stealth mode - wicked

Can't wait for this. We only managed to get to 2 games in the first half of the season, so looking forward to these next 3 to get some use out of the memberships! Made it to the first 2 home games, then had to miss the next one with something else on that night, and couldn't justify the expense of the Hamilton and Auckland trips having already been to Auckland for Coldplay the weekend before and then going away over the Xmas time. Then missed the last home game as we were still away. So feels like a long time since we last went!

Last time I tried taking someone I was dating to the football (I think it was ACFC vs TW at Kiwitea), you never saw anyone so bored in their life.

COYN

Bored with the game, or with your companion?

Well, time to start posting on here instead of popping in to read other peoples angst I suppose. I doubt we'll get much over 6k this saturday and will probably manage 5 thanks to the die-hards. Not helped by this crappy weather. What we need is more than a win versus the Marinators, we need an X-factor occasion like Smeltz scoring a hat-trick. That is what will spark up some of the fair weather fans. I have to say that while I go to all the games (and some away, my fares are booked for the Brizzy game), I'm getting less excited in the lead up than I have been in the past. It's now becoming more of a "habit" in some ways. Hopefully this week will be a turning point. Can't see us winning the Tards game, so 6 points will do me.

I thought weather was meant to be alright with the crap we are having at the moment passing by Saturday. I'm hoping for 8k but expecting more like 6k. (Nix will report over 6k anyway).

At present another 4.5k crowd officially reported at 6k. If it is a sunny and not windy day, 6k might show up.

Can't stand them slideshow Starting Line-ups that they put up on Facebook but are we pretty much going with?

                     Moss

    Tratt    Dura   Rossi   Doyle

                   Vinniesta

           Finkler     Bonevacia  (for A-Rod 2nd half)

Kosta                           Parkhouse  (for Weemac 2nd half)

                   Smeltzy  (for Watson 2nd half)

CCM aren't as shark as they used to be, would love for Rossi or Dura to bobsled O'Donovan early on. Can already predict a bit of handbags between Vinnie and Nick Montgomery in the centre circle.

Tratty will have his hands full if Connor Pain starts, he's got some serious wheels. 

3-2 Nix. Smeltzy brace with a Watto tap-in late in the game.

I assume it is the case, but has it been confirmed that Finkler is back from the family thing?