Moss sympathises with 'mate' Galekovic

Glen Moss deliberately avoided watching footage of fellow goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic's howler for Adelaide United last weekend.

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Glen Moss makes a routine save for Wellington Phoenix. (Getty) Source: Getty Images

According to the Wellington Phoenix custodian, it would be breaking the rules of the goalkeepers' union to seek to watch it.

"I heard of the goal Eugene conceded, but I swear to God I haven't actually watched it," Moss said. "I tend to try and stay away from those sort of visual images.

"We actually landed in Melbourne late on Saturday for our own game on Sunday and the boys were watching the highlights of the game and talking about it.

"I stayed right away from it. I was trying my hardest not to see it.

"Being the type of person I am, I don't like seeing my mates make mistakes. I know Eugene quite well, he's a good bloke and I've got a lot of time for him and you don't like to see your mates in the keepers' union making mistakes."

But mistakes happen. The problem for goalkeepers is that their mistakes are highlighted because they are the last line of defence. Several other players in your team may have erred as the opposition made its way down the field, but as last man standing you stick out.

"If a goalkeeper makes a mistake it should keep every player on the field honest, but unfortunately with goalkeeping when things go wrong it ends up on the internet pretty quickly and goes around the world," Moss said.

Moss finds himself in a similar position heading into Round 26 to that of Galekovic ahead of the previous round.

Galekovic had played a blinder against Sydney FC in Round 24, stopping everything the opposition threw at him in a 1-0 win for Adelaide.

Moss is now coming off having played a blinder in Wellington's 0-0 draw against Melbourne City, repelling everything that came at him and bravely getting through the closing stages with a badly corked thigh.

Unfortunately for Galekovic, he could not be saved by the rest of his team in the 3-2 loss to Brisbane Roar. Moss, meanwhile, is naturally determined to back up one terrific performance with another as Phoenix hosts Central Coast Mariners at Westpac Stadium on Friday night.

It never hurts in football to be reminded that - as in all sport - you are only as good as your last game.

"I'd been a bit disappointed going into last weekend's game," Moss said. "We'd lost two games in a row at home, each by 3-0, so on a personal note I really wanted to keep a clean sheet, or at least do as much as I could to prevent anything going in.

"It was a worry in the first five or 10 minutes when there were quite a few shots coming at me, because we'd conceded far too easily in the early part of the previous two games.

"But once we settled down and the boys got their passing and moving together I started to get more comfortable and not so nervy myself."

If you presume Perth is going to be unsuccessful with its various appeals against penalties for cheating the salary cap - including being prohibited from competing in the finals - then fifth-placed Wellington is guaranteed of finishing in the top four and getting a home final.

But Moss said it would be wrong for he and his team-mates to think that way.

"You get into dangerous territory if you start presuming that Perth won't be involved and you're home and hosed," he said. "We're in a good position with two home games to see out the season and we want to win both and ensure a spot in that top four regardless.

"We were pretty bad in those two 3-0 losses, but it was a good wake-up call for us, you know. Before that we'd won four in a row and we were kind of cruising there.

"We had a look at the tape and saw what went wrong and we tried to make amends for that against City. We had some good chances to score and win, but it wasn't our time. Hopefully we can take advantage of playing at home this week."

Moss said he had been getting constant treatment in a bid to recover well enough from his injury to play. The short turnaround of five days between games has made it a race for him.

"It was a pretty heavy cork," he said. "I'm glad it happened with eight minutes to go instead of the first eight minutes, because I probably wouldn't have been able to get to the end of the game, not being able to put any pressure on that left leg.

"It's a pretty massive bruise there at the moment and I'm hoping it goes away in the time left before the game.
"Bad corks can keep you out, especially when you're a goalkeeper and you really need to be explosive off both legs, jumping in the air and diving and things like that, but I'm doing everything I can.

"I believe I'll play, but it comes down to the medical team and what they think as well."


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5 min read
Published 16 April 2015 11:32am
By Greg Prichard

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