Phoenix nudge closer to A-League playoffs

CHRISTCHURCH is surely the new black (and yellow) as a club-record crowd inspired the Wellington Phoenix to the brink of an A-League playoff place.

A mind-boggling 19,258 fans – almost a thousand more than the Phoenix's previous record – watched defender Jon McKain slam home the Wellingtonians' match winner against nemesis Adelaide United.

What bets on the Christchurch Phoenix? Come on Terry Serepisos, you have to admit it has a nice ring to it.

The turnout for the first event in the spanking new, sun-dappled AMI stadium was a record for a club football game in New Zealand, topping the 18,345 who watched the Phoenix play Adelaide in Wellington on November 30, 2007 – the day before the David Beckham festival match.

They were dancing in the Deans Stand – the new, towering three-level eastern side edifice – as the ground announcer confirmed the attendance and the Phoenix beat Adelaide for the first time in nine matches – and all but cemented a spot in the top-six playoffs with two games yet to play.

Coach Ricki Herbert could even be popping the Champagne corks as soon as the end of round 25 tonight.

It took a great late save by Liam Reddy to save the Phoenix's bacon and they rode their luck at times with some Keystone Cop-like defending at set pieces. So, yes, they will have to play much better than this to win their first A-League trophy. But if proof were ever needed that the Phoenix were a New Zealand team, not simply a windy city brand, Christchurch confirmed it.

Serepisos and Tony Pignata, the Phoenix chiefs, must surely now hold at least one game a year in their new southern stronghold.

The Garden City gaggle may not quite have matched the decibel levels of the dervishes dubbed Yellow Fever at Wellington's Westpac Stadium. But there were almost twice as many as the biggest crowd at the Cake Tin this season, where Wellington has been averaging 7552 fans.

There were even 8000 more than Canterbury could muster for the Air New Zealand Cup rugby final – and the football fans didn't need a ground announcer to exhort them to make more noise.

The punters in southern stand behind Adelaide's goal must surely have been singing the everpresent TV chip jingle: "Good on you, McKain, you've done it again" after he grabbed his goal in the 22nd minute.

McKain went 29 matches without a goal for the Phoenix but this was his second strike in his past four outings.

The "home" side had weathered an energetic opening by Adelaide, whose pint-sized playmaker Lucas Pantelis cut his capers down the left-hand side of midfield.

Adrian Caceres – in his first start for four matches – had a shot tipped over the bar by Adelaide's Socceroos goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic in the 22nd minute.

Caceres quickly took the corner, skipper Andrew Durante made a darting run just outside the near post and Adelaide dithered in defence.

McKain swooped and showed a striker's technique to swivel and lash home a left-foot shot.

Visiting skipper Travis Dodd should have buried a free header in the last minute of the first spell as the ball-watching Phoenix markers allowed Adelaide three unhindered opportunities.

The rugby union aficionados among the crowd let out a lusty roar at one of the best rugby tackles at the Crusaders' home ground in recent years. However, Adelaide's Adam Hughes was booked for his bootlace-level effort, which would have done home-ground hero Richie McCaw proud.

In the second half, Caceres flashed a shot past the outside post from 20m and midfielder Tim Brown belted a long-range effort into Galekovic's arms.

Reddy came to the rescue in the final minute and, from the corner, an Adelaide header flashed past an unguarded far post.

Wellington Phoenix 1 (Jon McKain) Adelaide United 0.HT: 1-0.

- © Fairfax NZ News