v Cakes Fri 18th 10pm

shows over now poker.... 

Quabazaa? You're our last hope. How did we go?

Absolutely gutted. Adelaide were on the ropes for most of the game, especially the first half (where we had 60% possession), but we just couldn't deliver the knockout blow.

We totally dominated against the team that spent most of the season in second place. I am so proud of Ricki and the lads tonight.

Looking forward to getting my fifth season ticket at the Ring of Fire. Bring on the Ifill burgers at the Bencher in season 2011/12!

Ah gutted. Also had streaming problems, got home just in time to find that we'd lost it. Good finish toward the end of the season.

Good work all the Phoenix team. Here's to next season!

Junior: Doloras has been throwing up all day. Is there something you two need to tell us?

Had the better of the game, but apart from Ward's header didn't really create much.  So can't really be that disappointed with the result.

f**k i hate off seasons.

Damn. Sometimes we play crap and win, last night we we were playing well and just couldnt get there. Liked the way we played, so dont feel that upset today

Best we've ever played away from home to lose. Hope RH learns what an attacking mindset can do in away games. Everyone was terrific. Now time for Terry S to sort his money issues, so we can recruit the right players, and aim for top 2 finish. Phoenix can only win the A League - like ever - with home advantage. So they to turnaround their poor starts to the season, and come out of ther blocks flying late this year.

Great game last night...loved the way we played...not sure how the aussies have the nerve to keep saying that the nix would be used to weather..sh*t it seems like most away games have had crap weather. incidentally what is everyone going to do betwen now and next season..its an awfully looooooooong time

Great away effort from the boys. You could not question their commitment or their mental strenght. As a supporter all way can ask is for them to give their all.....I'm really proud of them. We huffed and puffed but did not have that one piece of real class to get a goal....which kind of really sums up our season.

It's been a weird season, with saving up for going home and other stuff we've missed a few matches and we've still not made over to Australia for an away match.

Still we've turned out better than I thought we would early on. Next season we need to strengthen and remove some of the deadwood in the side. Dunno where the money will come from though.

It sort of pisses me off that Peter Jackson will fork out to buy some cricket pitches for a posh school but appears to have no wish to invest in the Phoenix which is so tied in with image of Wellington. I wonder if he's ever been approached?

We need investment but I've no idea where from.
ForteanTimes2011-02-19 09:21:20

So gutted about the game, we dominated that first half and Adelaide came back strongly in the 2nd. I think a draw after 90mins would have been fair then anything could have happened in xtra time.

I must say, Van Dyk/Dodd/Flores are a very very good attacking combo, but our back 4 handled them brilliant.

Back-to-back finals and a really good performance to go out on. Let's realistically go for top 2 next season.

Right so how many sausage sizzles will we need to have to raise $6.1 million?

Great effort by your team and the travelling support. We were definitely second best tonight but able to get the win.
Vukovic should have had that ball easy. Standing behind the goals, i was spewing that the pass had been over hit. Vukovic would have got to the ball well before Dodd but for some reason he stayed on his line?? We are so lucky to have Galekovic in goals for us......he rarely makes a mistake.
If the Nix get some away form going next season they will be a huge threat. Hope you can keep Rojas, he is all class.

cheers for that

Sums it up perfectly for me. If I was a planes player, I'd be buying me a lotto ticket - with that sort of luck, you will win!

Oh and to finish the season on a positive note - thats four seasons we've had now and twice we have made the finals. Not bad for a "new" club!

I am relatively happy with this season. Haven't posted all that much but have been watching avidly. If we build right, next season could be amazing.

Already talked about this with a friend, we'll do a sausage sizzle, raise a pathetic amount, and are just about to give up when Bill Gates will come along, and say "I've seen these guys play. Pity to loose them." and We'll say "yeah.. it is." and he'll say "Here's a cheque for 6 million. Use it for your team." and He'll walk away, and we'll have a cheque for 6 million, and we'll give it to Terry, and everything will be okay.

PASTE:

I have to admit I was a little puzzled with Disco playing so high.
I can see the logic in trying to neutralise Cassio, and had we won it could have been called as a 'masterclass'.

But playing Hearfield so high up fo me, forr his first time this season, was not the greatest move.



Also Ifill coming on with 30 minutes to play was just silly. Had we gone to extra time he wouldnt have made it. I thought ten minutes max was what he was looking at. And also, taking off DMac was never ever gonna work either. He can run 90 minutes because his game isnt based on his running.

It should have been Greenacre on for Troy and switched to a formation that has been working for us.

Cheers bro! All the best for the rest of your playoffs campaign!

Good atmosphere in the Kings...gutted we couldn't score because the place would've erupted.

This.

Good thing we have the club season to tick things over while TV is polluted with rugby.

LIFE SUCKS

Not a like for like comparison.

We played well, but guess in the final analysis just weren't good enough in critical areas to pull it off.

Kind of the story of the season really. It's going to be very interesting to see how the squad shapes up for the next season.

Shall we all go to the airport and cheer them in? Anyone know what time they come in?

Probably the only time in his career that Vuko actually stayed on his line...ah well

We didn't roll over and die and played superb I thought, caught out by a quick counter sh*t happens
Hurry up next season already

I think we have come over the away curse.

WTF was hearfield doing at right back and why was greenie dumped? mcallister showed again how much rojas's crosses have flattered him. sh1t result and very average season. not loving next year with no rojas or vukovic

Yeah I gottan say some of those subs did worry me, taking off Dmac, our in form striker, for an out of form, just got fit in time Paul Ifil was a risky move which didn't look like paying off and didn't.
Greenie for troy would have been the better option, switch to 4-4-2, push ward wide and eventually sub him for Ifil. Don't know about you guys but I perfer Ifil on the wing to a central striker, just because he doesn't stay central and often moves out wide leaving a void.
Can't complain though, we played all the football, next season looks to be righteous.
Commencing phoenix waiting period... we need like cryogenics or something, just freeze ourselves during the off season. Hibernation for the win!

I decided to watch the game again this morning before making my comments.
It is ironic that we leave one of our better games to last(and away) I just cannot understand why we are such an up and down side. Had we played every game this season like that we would have been in the top 4.
Although we had a lot of the possession in the first half I don't think we really looked like we were going to hammer them.The major difference between us and Adelaide were Flores,Van Dyke and Dodd. These are the type of players that can change a game. We don't have that type of player.We do have Marco, but we need at least three more players of his ability. Until we get them we will continue to be there or there about, but will not seriously challenge for the title.
I can't believe that Ricki put on Ifill(he has not played an A league game for 8 weeks) It was unfair to him and the team to expect anything.

I saw 10 mins of the game then Telstra cut off, was f**king pissed. Disappointed to hear we lost, first 10 mins looked promising. Then hearing crap about Marco moving to Tards, but the commentators are generally unreliable.

Have been thinking about this for a while - I do agree that it was a bit unfair to expect the guy who hadn't played in twon months to win the game for us. Ifill did look rusty and far from fit, and getting him on with half an hour to go was a bit hopeful.

But on the other side, I also understand the decision - everything was breaking down up front for us, and I guess the thinking could have been putting a guy who has a proven track-record of winning games for us was a worthy roll of the dice, and putting him in the middle meant that you could have both Ifill and Marco on at the same time, and hopefully one or both of them could make something happen. It didn't, and now we have all this angst. But I think the reality is we needed something to change up front to get something from the game, and Ricki's call simply didn't work out in the end.