Krishna leaves Phoenix legends trailing in his wake on Wellington’s historic night
It was only fitting that, for one who has lived through some of Wellington Phoenix’s darkest days, Roy Krishna was the man to send the Hyundai A-League club to a new level of euphoria.
Krishna’s brace in Wellington’s 3-2 win over Central Coast Mariners – his eighth and ninth goals of the campaign – have Phoenix basking in the glory of a club record eight-match unbeaten run.
Wellington’s increasing state of elation cuts a violent contrast from the time their Fijian forward was first rushed to the New Zealand capital.
It was a moment of great crisis that drew the prolific Auckland City forward to the Hyundai A-League in January 2014, as an injury replacement for Phoenix legend Paul Ifill.
That ruptured Achilles tendon ultimately forced Wellington’s favourite son to call time on his career, but in the changing of the guard that has followed, there are no doubts that Phoenix fans now hold Krishna in similar hallowed regard.
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And so, five years to the day of his Hyundai A-League debut, Krishna remains the only Fijian to play in the competition, and has underlined his central importance to the Phoenix cause once more.
Things have come full-circle for the 31-year-old this season. In December, Krishna was granted New Zealand citizenship and surpassed Ifill’s 33-goal club record.
Based on the direction Krishna is taking the Phoenix this season, fans could mount justifiable claims that he is establishing a legacy that supersedes that of the man he replaced on a short-term deal half a decade ago.
Indeed, his exploits on scene of Wellington’s remarkable comeback triumph over the Mariners have overshadowed the colossal feat of Andrew Durante’s 300th Hyundai A-League match.
That alone reveals the magnitude of Krishna’s achievements, and it might just be his crowning moment as a true legend of Wellington Phoenix Football Club.
