Playing for points

With ladder positions hanging vicariously, round 6 will see teams vying for points to one up their ladder neighbours

Shannon Cole of the Wanderers leaps over Aziz Behich of the Heart during the Round 5 A-League match between Melbourne Heart and the Western Sydney Wanderers at AAMI Park in Melbourne, Friday, Nov. 8, 2013. (AAP Image/Mark Dadswell)

15 November 2013 11:36am

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Last on the ladder, Melbourne Heart will be desperate to start bringing in points after consecutive losses and draws. The Heart are also without a goal in their past three matches and have scored in just one game this campaign. They’re up against Sydney FC, who earned a well deserved win against Melbourne Victory last week.

The blockbuster for this week will be Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne Victory. Three points separate the two in the top spots, and with the strain of playing away again Melbourne Victory won’t be as confident as they normally are.

Victory have won just one of their last eight A-League games away from home (including playoffs) – losing four and drawing three. Last week’s match against Sydney FC was a narrow 3-2 loss.

Western Sydney Wanderers have definitely been more consistent, only conceding one game at the start of the season and have won three games in a row till now.

A notable absence this week will be Central Coast Mariners, who have rescheduled their match against Wellington Phoenix till December, as their coach flies to secure a new job. Assistant Phil Moss will take control as head coach, after Graham Arnold take a position at the J League.

It comes after a 0-1 loss to ladder leaders Brisbane Roar, who managed a late goal in the 89th minute. The held most of the possession but good defensive skills from the Mariners maintained them.

Perth Glory is a team to keep an eye on. Not many have given the team the light of day after a poor performance in last year’s season, but after some easy wins, they sit fourth on the ladder on equal points with Melbourne Victory.

They’re up against Adelaide United, a team showed potential but has fallen by the wayside after three consecutive losses.

They have to add away fatigue when they take on an in form Perth Glory tonight.

Brisbane Roar has won four out of six matches, and are looking to bag another against Newcastle Jets on Sunday yet need to find good replacements for a number of players. Thanks to Socceroos duty and injury, the team is looking quite sparse, and the Jets will use that to their advantage.