by Ben Gilby (19/2/26)
Above: Wellington Phoenix head coach Bev Priestman speaking to the media today ahead of the team’s trip to Melbourne Victory. Image: Wellington Phoenix.
Wellington Phoenix head coach Bev Priestman and captain Mackenzie Barry have welcomed the team’s quick turnaround from last weekend’s defeat to Central Coast Mariners at a wild and windy Wellington as they prepare to face Melbourne Victory tomorrow as a “great chance” to “get back on the horse.”
Whilst a Friday quick turnaround fixture in Victoria could be seen as a major challenge for the New Zealanders, Priestman is fully focused on the positive opportunity it brings to show a response to Sunday’s disappointments.
“I said to the players, you have just got to get back on the horse and (having a game now) it’s better that then having the international break. It’s a great chance to get back to ‘us’.”
“It’s very easy (to make excuses) – ‘I’m tired’, ‘It’s a tight turnaround’ – no excuses, give us everything you’ve got, and in the international window, you’ve got a group that go off to represent their countries, and a group here who will try and keep fresh, but also push as well, because we’ve got a chance to make history after the international break (by making Finals for the first time).”
Barry agreed, emphasising how she feels that: “A quick turnaround is always great after a loss, so you can just review, move on, and focus on the next game.”
The review of the Mariners defeat, both feel has led to significant learnings for all. It was a match played in extreme weather conditions with howling wind and driving rain. Priestman likes what she has seen in response from her squad.
“The players did a really good job at unpicking that game,” the Nix boss said. “I think there were some really good learnings, not only tactically, but I think mentally as well. Do you go into that second half thinking that with the wind it’s going to be easier? Actually, if we’d continued in the same vein as we played the first half, I think it would have been a different game…I was really impressed with how reflective the players were.”
Whilst Wellington is famed for it’s weather conditions, what Barry and her teammates faced against the Mariners is not something she will forget in a hurry, as she ruefully smiled and added with a heavy slice of understatement.
“It was a crazy game. We had a lot of cold bodies, a lot of sore bodies. It was different, but we’re refreshed.”
All focus now turns to tomorrow night, and another chance for Wellington Phoenix to claim yet another piece of history in what has been an outstanding campaign for the club – a first win in Melbourne against Jeff Hopkins’ Victory side.
Priestman knows her team are more than capable of doing so, if they use the foundations of earlier in the season and use the building blocks of the learning points from last weekend’s defeat.
“Picking up points on the road – it’s about defending well, working hard, and actually performing across 90 minutes. If you do that, and you look historically across our away games where we’ve picked up points, what comes to mind is Canberra (where the Nix won 2-0 with goals in the 86th and 96th minutes) – you know, late in the game. Just stay switched on, defend well, and I do think we have the depth in the squad across 90 minutes to go and pick up some points.
“However, what I do know is Melbourne Victory are a top team, right…they’ve got great experience, and it will be a tough game…We’re going to have to go another level. I felt at some moments of that Central Coast game that they wanted it more than us, and that can’t be the case. We’ve got to match and go above and beyond a team who on their home turf and who are fighting to be in a higher position, and probably deserve to be – they are going to come out with all guns blazing.
“…They have got a lot – they’ve got (Holly) Furphy, who has been a big contributor for them, they’ve got (Kennedy) White, they’ve got (Rhianna) Pollicina, who can make something happen out of nothing. They have a lot of threat, and we’ve got to respect that.
“…We are going to do everything in our power – I’ve seen it in the players’ eyes this week. They are tuned in, dialled in, we’re there to take points.”
Barry is also full of belief that the Nix can come away from Melbourne with points if they keep their focus, beliefs, and play to their strengths.
“They (Victory) are a great team, they are pretty consistent in what they do. It means we know their strengths, but we also know their weaknesses,” the Wellington captain said.
“It’s another goal of ours. It would be amazing to get our first victory there…we just want to get those points, and we know we can definitely do it.
“We’ve got to keep pushing and keep getting those clean sheets because the goal difference really matters on the tight table at this point…We’ve got a good thing going (in terms of defensive partnerships and understanding with Ellie Walker and Marisa van der Meer). We’re used to each other now. We know what we need from each other, our communication is great. I’m really proud of Marisa and Ellie – we’ve adapted really well to each other, and everything is pretty smooth.”
Priestman ended the media event by outlining some tough injury news for Lara Wall, who tore her calf in the game against Central Coast Mariners, ruling her out of tomorrow’s game, and New Zealand’s forthcoming World Cup qualifiers in the Soloman Islands.
“She’ll be out for an extended period. It’s not season ending by any means, but I’m gutted for her…she’s versatile, and she’s got her head screwed on. Tactically, she understands the game. She’s a big loss for us, but it’s an opportunity for people to step up.”
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