-
Paul Ifill - Source: ONE Sport -
Watch Video
-
Related
Paul Ifill has been a Phoenix saviour on many occassions this season but on Sunday it looked like fate was not on his side.
The attacking winger suffered a knock to the knee in the first few minutes of the semi-final against the Jets and proceeded to struggle physically throughout the match.
"I had cramp in places I didn't know you could get cramp, you know, both calves, both hamstrings, groins - which I've never had before he told tvnz.co.nz. at a team recovery session on Monday morning.
Ifill showed composure to set up Tim Brown for the crucial equaliser in the 30th minute, but after that often struggled with his radar.
"It was one of those days where it just wouldn't happen. I thought I wasn't going to score and then I tried to lay one on for something else and that doesn't work."
The 30-year-old was seeing plenty of ball but just couldn't make that incisive play, until the ball fell his way in the very last minute of regulation time.
Ifill found himself in the clear, yards out from goal and with
only Ben Kennedy in the Newcastle net to beat.
Heavy touch
"I think I tried to be too precise. I wanted to go round the keeper and slide it into an empty net. [But it] was a heavy touch again, and we were back to square one."
The Phoenix had been just a kick away from sealing the match, now they faced thirty minutes extra time, which Ifill admitted was a huge burden to bear.
He credited his teammates will helping him to get through it.
"[The boys] got round me at the start of extra time and said keep getting on the ball, you're doing well, you're gonna win us the game."
His captain Andrew Durante also told him "don't worry about it, we will keep giving you the ball and you will score a goal."
There was plenty of encouragement and Ifill was determined to
make amends in extra time.
Early chance
He had an early chance, turning his marker inside out before rattling his shot against the base of the post, which seemed to be the last straw.
"I was mentally drained after that [94th minute] miss then it hits the post - I'm gone, I'm thinking it's not happening."
Ifill even asked coach Ricki Herbert to be substituted, to end his mental and physical agony.
Herbert told tvnz.co.nz his reply was blunt and to the point.
"I said you're not coming off. Paul is quality for us and it was just a matter of getting him through it".
Their belief was justified when Ifill scored his 13th goal of the season - from probably his toughest chance - to put the Phoenix in the lead with just minutes left on the clock.
Ifill has the chance to be a hero all over again on Saturday night, when the Phoenix face Sydney FC at Sydney football stadium in the A league major-semi final.
The Phoenix have lost on all three occasions to the Sydneysiders in the 2009-10 season and their star import is obviously hoping for a different result in the biggest match of the season so far.
"We have found it pretty tough this year against Sydney. Touch wood it is going to be different this time and we go there full of confidence"
