Vs CCM Sat 18th 7:30pm

After seeing plenty of yellow cards last season, Wellington Phoenix defender Ben SigmUnd has turned things around during this Hyundai A-League campaign.

The 31-year-old has collected just three cautions since an early-season blip when he was sent off in the 2-1 loss to Melbourne Victory in week four, and joked he had become the team's role model.

Defensive partner Manny Muscat sat out last weekend's loss to the Brisbane Roar after accumulating his fifth booking of the season and skipper Andrew Durante and midfielder Tim Brown will miss this Saturday's crucial clash with league leaders Central Coast Mariners after also amassing five yellow cards each.

Keeping his discipline has been an area SigmUnd has worked hard at.

"Last year I got up to about seven or eight cards. You are disappointed in yourself but you're also disappointed when you let the team down," the New Zealand international said.

"When you miss games you are absolutely gutted so it's something that I've worked really hard on."

SigmUnd is one of the leading candidates to take over the captain's armband from Durante at Bluetongue Stadium after his central defensive partner was given a yellow card for dissent towards an assistant referee last weekend.

"I'll have to keep my mouth shut," SigmUnd quipped.

"For some reason I seem to be the role model at the moment. I've only got three yellow cards and he's got five."

At this stage in the season losing key players to suspension can be costly - as the Phoenix found out last weekend.

That 2-0 loss to Brisbane saw them slip to third spot on the A-League ladder and another loss on Saturday will see the pressure increase to remain in the top four.

"From a leadership point of view it's always important to have him on the pitch," coach Ricki Herbert said of Durante. "But he's not and people need to step up now."

"Andrew's form this year has also been outstanding so his performance as well as leadership is certainly going to be missing."

SigmUnd, however, is confident the Phoenix can bounce back from last Sunday's disappointment.

"(The Mariners) home record is not that good and I think we've got to take advantage of that. I'm fully confident we can get something from the game," he said.

"It's always tough to travel over there but we've got a good record (away from home) at the moment. We're three from three."

As they did last month when they recorded back-to-back wins over Gold Coast United and Newcastle Jets, Wellington will remain in Australia after Saturday's fixture to prepare for the following week's game against Sydney.

Powerful Central Coast recruit John Sutton will almost certainly make his Hyundai A-League debut as the Mariners battle to avoid a hat-trick of defeats when Wellington Phoenix visit Gosford on Saturday night.

Sutton arrived on the coast on loan from Scottish Premier League club Hearts last week but his final clearance did not come through in time for him to play in the club�s 2-1 defeat against Melbourne Victory.

All the necessary paperwork has now been completed meaning the big striker can be unleashed on the Phoenix defence at Bluetongue Stadium.

Sutton has looked sharp at training since his arrival from Scotland and is desperate to start in what is shaping as a crucial contest for both clubs.

Mariners assistant coach Phil Moss said a final decision on Sutton�s role in Saturday night�s game would be left until the last minute.

"We still haven't finalised the starting side but he will be in the squad for Saturday night," Moss said.

"He has trained well and is keen to play."

After back-to-back defeats against Brisbane and Victory, the Mariners need to return to winning ways against Wellington.

They are still five points clear on top of the A-League ladder, but another loss would give the chasing pack huge confidence heading into the final weeks of the season.

While disappointed with the loss against Victory last week Moss and head coach Graham Arnold were happy with most aspects of the performance.

Both are after a more clinical performance in front of goal and Sutton's inclusion is sure to boost the team in the attacking third.

Meanwhile, Moss also confirmed that in-form defender Pedj Bojic was a good chance to return from injury.

Striker Troy Hearfield is also a chance to be included in the squad after missing last week's defeat.

Date: Saturday, February 18
Kick-off: 5.30pm AEDT
Venue: Bluetongue Stadium

Head-to-head
Played 13: Wins: Central Coast 6, Wellington 5, Draws: 2

Previous encounter
Wellington 1, Central Coast 2, November 4, 2011

History:
In one of the vagaries of the A-League draw, these sides haven�t met since way back in early November, in what was just the fifth week of the season.

On that occasion both sides were at the wrong end of the table and it was the Mariners who got their season going with a hard-fought 2-1 win in Wellington.

Bernie Ibini and Matt Simon got the goals for the visitors either side of a Chris Greenacre strike. The win has the Central Coast side just ahead in the head-to-head meetings between the clubs, with six victories to Wellington�s five.

Form:
Past five matches:
Central Coast: DWWLL
Wellington: WWWWL

Are the runaway league leaders in a form slump?

Seemingly cruising towards the Premiers Plate a couple of weeks ago, Graham Arnold�s side have come back to the field a little with back-to-back losses.

They are still five points clear from second-placed Brisbane � and with a game in hand � and should go into the finals in top spot but some small cracks are starting to appear after their club record 15-game unbeaten run.

Wellington�s four-game winning streak hit the skids last weekend with a disappointing 2-0 home loss to the resurgent Roar. The Phoenix are still in third place but with a number of sides lining up behind trying to secure a place in the top six, Ricki Herbert will want to make sure it was just an aberration. The good news is the club�s away form has been brilliant in recent weeks with the Phoenix posting three wins on the trot on their travels.

Match Committee:
The Mariners will be without young defender Trent Sainsbury who was sent off in the loss to Melbourne Victory last weekend. With Pedj Bojic struggling with a knee injury Graham Arnold could need to find someone else to slot in at right back.

Troy Hearfield (hamstring) missed last week�s match and with John Sutton to make his debut is unlikely to get a spot back in the squad regardless of whether he recovers or not.

The Phoenix have been hit hard by suspension with skipper Andrew Durante and midfielder Tim Brown both sidelined after picking up their fifth yellow cards of the season. Manny Muscat returns from a suspension of his own while Nick Ward is also in contention for a return after a hamstring strain.

Danger men:
John Sutton � The Englishman is set to make his A-League debut since signing for the Mariners from Scottish club, Hearts at the start of the month.

Brought in to replace Matt Simon, Sutton is big, powerful and strong in the air and could be just the player the Central Coast need heading into the finals. He had a respectable scoring record in the SPL and lower leagues in England and if the Phoenix allow him any chances he�s likely to make them pay.

Chris Greenacre � Greenacre hasn�t got much of the plaudits for Wellington�s recent resurgence but the experienced striker is a vital cog in the Phoenix armoury.

While most of the focus has been on the likes of Paul Ifill, Dani Sanchez and Tim Brown, the Englishman has quietly gone about his business up top for the Kiwis. It�s not just his four goals which have proved invaluable for the Phoenix but Greenacre works extremely hard without the ball which allows the other players around him to shine.

At the end of the day� A couple of weeks ago the question wasn�t if the Mariners would win the Premiers Plate but by how much. But things change quickly in the A-League and Central Coast have opened the door with back-to-back losses.

The fact their mini-slump has come around the same time that speculation over the future coach Graham Arnold and a possible move to Sydney may just be a coincidence but if it is affecting the playing group then the Phoenix are a great chance here.

Herbert�s side should fancy their chances given they are virtually at full strength and have seemed to have solved their travel sickness. It looms as a much more vital game for the Phoenix who are in danger of falling back to the pack if they slump to another loss.

This fixture has only seen two games out of 13 where both teams have scored in the same match which means the first goal could be crucial in this one.

Arguments can be madefor why both sides will win this one but hard to split. Home ground advantage may just get the Mariners over line but only by the odd goal.

Teams:

Central Coast Mariners Squad: 2. Daniel MCBREEN, 3. Joshua ROSE, 4. Pedj BOJIC, 5. Brad PORTER, 6. Patrick ZWAANSWIJK, 7. John HUTCHINSON, 8. Rostyn GRIFFITHS, 9. Bernie IBINI, 10. Adriano PELLEGRINO, 12. Troy HEARFIELD, 13. Stuart MUSIALIK, 14. Michael MCGLINCHEY, 15. Brad MCDONALD, 17. Tomas ROGIC, 18. Alex WILKINSON (C), 19. John SUTTON, 20. Justin PASFIELD (Gk), 23. Adam KWASNIK, 24. Mitchell DUKE, 31. Brody CRANE (Gk) *five to be omitted*

In: 4. Pedj BOJIC (returns from injury), 5. Brad PORTER (promoted), 12. Troy HEARFIELD (returns from injury), 13. Stuart MUSIALIK (promoted), 15. Brad MCDONALD (promoted), 24. Mitchell DUKE (promoted), 19. John SUTTON
Out: 16. Trent SAINSBURY, 22. Sam GALLAGHER (both suspended)
Unavailable: 1. Mathew RYAN, 11. Oliver BOZANIC, 22. Mustafa AMINI (all Qantas Australian U23 duty)

Wellington Phoenix squad: 1. Mark Paston (GK), 3. Tony Lochhead, 4. Brent Griffiths, 7. Leo Bertos, 8. Paul Ifill, 9. Chris Greenacre, 11. Daniel, 12. Nicky Ward, 14. Mirjan Pavlovic, 17. Vince Lia, 18. Ben SigmUnd, 19. Jimmy Downey, 20, Tony Warner (GK), 21. Dani Sanchez, 24. Alex Smith

In: Brent Griffiths (promoted), Mirjan Pavlovic (promoted), Manny Muscat (returns from suspension), Nicky Ward (returns from injury)
Out: Tim Brown, Andrew Durante (both suspended � 1 match)
Unavailable: Cameron Lindsay (international duty), Lucas Pantelis (knee injury � indefinite)