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After an eventful week that featured the resignation of long-time coach Ricki Herbert and a midweek loss to the Newcastle Jets, the Wellington Phoenix rallied and came away with a 1-0 victory against Melbourne in our own backyard. Jeremy Brockie scored the only goal in the fixture, which was the second consecutive victory at Forsyth Barr Stadium for the Phoenix.

The Phoenix dominated the game and should have been three or four up by half time, but were hindered by the woodwork twice. They came out with a vigour that has not been seen all season. The Heart hardly threatened the Phoenix goal, and were run ragged by the ever-consistent Paul Ifill and Leo Bertos, who looked a different player on the wing. The second half lacked the intensity of the first and Wellington looked complacent as the time ticked away. Substitute Louis Fenton had the chance to put the game to bed but missed a sitter by blazing it over the bar. It is fair to say the scoreline didn’t do justice to the Phoenix performance; they should have beaten the lacklustre Heart by considerably more. Lack of shrewdness in the final third and in front of goal will be a key area to address for interim coach Chris Greenacre in the remaining games.

Although Forsyth Barr is a successful venue in terms of victories for the Phoenix, it’s probably the last time the team will journey down to the Deep South. An extremely disappointing attendance (unofficial reports put it just over 3000) will freeze any ideas of returning. So who or what is to blame for this nightmare of a turnout? Take your pick. Firstly, the marketing was virtually non-existent with the exception of a few spray-painted stencils on the footpath outside the University.

Secondly, it was always going to be a huge effort to get a crowd considering the performances of the Phoenix this season. In 2011, when they first came to Dunedin, they were in the middle of a reasonably successful season in which they finished fourth in the table. This time there was no novelty. A Sunday afternoon game in a city with over 20,000 students is imprudent to say the least. The biggest issue is to do with the apathy of the public and of the student population. A preseason game in 2011 saw around 15,000 spectators, so the appeal is there. A turnout of 3000 people is beyond disappointing. The Phoenix may suck now but they hopefully won’t suck next season, or the season after that. So in essence, the city’s failure to turn up to a game now has ruined the chances of seeing a superior Phoenix side down here in the future.

Luckily, Dunedin has a second chance to show that they do want professional football to be played in the best stadium in the country. On 22 March the All Whites play New Caledonia. A win or a draw in this game will award Ricki Herbert’s team the Oceania place in the intercontinental playoff against a CONCACAF (North and Central American) nation in November.

So if you want to see the All Whites at the World Cup in Brazil next year, or if you want to see more sport played down in Dunedin, make the effort.