Mariners aiming to crack Phoenix

(AAP) - Central Coast Mariners will be out to crack the Wellington Phoenix's unbeaten A-League home streak on Sunday.

The competition's sole New Zealand-based franchise boasts an undefeated home run of
nine games stretching back to last season.
Although Phoenix are languishing on the lower part of a highly congested ladder,
they have lost only two of their first seven games.
The Mariners charged into the top four with a 3-0 thumping of new glamour club Gold
Coast last week.
However, Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna believed Wellington were more organised and
had more scoring options this season following gun striker Shane Smeltz's move to
the Gold Coast.
"Last year, a lot of the time you never saw Smeltz and he would pop up and score a
goal for them," McKinna told AAP.
"Where as last year if Smeltz wasn't scoring nobody was scoring, this year they've
got the two English players Chris Greenacre and Paul Ifill, Leo Bertos and Tim
Brown, so they are getting more forward from the midfield and I think they've got a
few more options than just relying on Smeltz.
"I think they are probably better organised than last year."
Wellington faces the task of trying to break down the meanest defence in the
eight-team competition.
The Mariners have conceded just four goals in their first seven games.
They had scored only five prior to last week's demolition of Gold Coast, with
McKinna praising his midfield for helping to create more chances.
Sunday's match will bring the Mariners' young midfielder Michael McGlinchey to the
country and city of his birth.
McGlinchey, 21, left Wellington when his Scottish parents returned home.
"I'm looking forward to going back, I've never been back before," McGlinchey told
the Mariners' website this week.
Newly signed Welshman Matt Crowell and former Phoenix player Adam Kwasnik were each
promoted to the Mariners' squad, though McKinna suggested both would start on the
bench.
Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert promoted a number of players to his squad including
Brazilian Diego, with another Brazilian, Daniel omitted for personal reasons.
Midfielder Brown said the Phoenix were ready to put a team to the sword.
"I haven't felt this good about the state of the club since I've been here - and I
mean that in all honesty - and that's to do with the quality of the players we have
here," Brown told the Phoenix website.
"I've got a great deal of respect for the Central Coast in what they've achieved,
They don't have any big names or flashing style, but they consistently achieve
through a combination of determination and quality that they get a lack of respect
for.
"They are always physical and in that respect we probably share that quality with
them, so it will make for a very combustible game of football."