The Wellington Phoenix have seemingly given up on finishing inside the top two of the regular A-League football season, preferring to concentrate on preparing for the playoffs.
Nathan Burns Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Phoenix are guaranteed a finals berth, though their recent form hasn't been good, suffering two losses and a draw in their last three games before Friday night's stunning 3-2 injury-time comeback over the Central Coast Mariners.
They could still finish inside the top two and earn a week off in the first week of the playoffs as well as a home semi-final, but coach Ernie Merrick said he was being realistic in his assessment of their chances.
"We blew our chance against Victory - I mean when you lose 3-0, that blew that chance and it made it very difficult to finish in the top two with the game against Sydney," he said, speaking before the Mariners game.
"So really, I'm focused on third or fourth so we get that home semi-final."
