Wellington Phoenix's Josh Oluwayemi saves a penalty. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Photosport.nz
It took Auckland FC 35 games in the A-League to be awarded a kick from the penalty spot. When the time came they failed to convert - twice.
Coach Steve Corica hoped that did not happen again.
Two penalties in the second half of Saturday's derby game were saved by Wellington Phoenix custodian Josh Oluwayemi.
Oluwayemi first denied Sam Cosgrove just after the hour mark and then stopped Francis de Vries eight minutes later before the All White converted off the rebound.
The misses were not costly, with Auckland winning 3-1 to keep their unbeaten run in the New Zealand derby going, but Corica knew there could be another game this season when a successful penalty could turn a game to their advantage.
"It's not great to miss pens like that... you would hope to score the pens when they come," Corica said.
Cosgrove, who is the side's current leading scorer with five goals, and last season's leading goal-scorer Guillermo May were among those Auckland would turn to should a penalty kick be awarded.
May, who started off the bench in the round seven fixture, was not on the field yet when the penalties were blown and he suggested the team "were not prepared" when they faced their first penalty.
"Some games we deserved some more [penalties] these two came together and we need to prepare better," May said.
Corica was not convinced they needed to step up the penalty taking at practice.
"They've all taken them in different circumstances in penalty shoot-outs but there is normally one or two who would take them on the day," Corica said.
"It's all a confidence thing picking the right spot and scoring, unfortunately Sam missed his one but that happens sometimes but you don't want it to happen too often."
Going into round eight of the last A-League season, Auckland had won the six games they had played and were at the top of the points ladder.
This season the record looks a bit different. Four wins, two draws and a loss and sitting in third.
However Auckland have netted 10 goals so far, the same number they had at this stage in their inaugural season.
"This is more like a normal season," Corica said. "Six wins in a row I don't think I've ever done it [before last season] while I've been coaching."
Corica said that the results so far were "a good sign".
"[We're] hard to beat."
Friday's game against Central Coast Mariners in Gosford marked the start of three away games to see out the calendar year which could be a turning point for the season.
"it's a difficult period for us being away from home, I actually quite like it because if you go by last season we picked up a lot of points away from home so if we play our cards right and take our chances we can pick teams off and hopefully do what we did last year and pick up a lot of points along the way."
The Mariners have also had some problems finding the back of the net in the last round.
"I watched the game against Sydney last week they hit the crossbar four times and they came away with a loss.
"They're a good team, especially at home, they've got good young players aggressive as well defensively.
"I said to the boys we actually really need to be switched on the away games is going to be a big telling point of where we're going to finish at the end of the season if we can start picking up points away from home."
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