Matthew Kemp has described Melbourne Victory’s loss to Wellington Phoenix as a ‘minor hiccup’ and says the Hyundai A-League leaders plan to get their season back on track this week when they head west to face Perth Glory.
Matthew Kemp has described Melbourne Victory’s loss to Wellington Phoenix as a ‘minor hiccup’ and says the Hyundai A-League leaders plan to get their season back on track this week when they head west to face Perth Glory.
The Victory’s run of three straight wins came to an end in New Zealand despite taking an early lead courtesy of Dan Allsopp’s seventh goal of the season as the Phoenix rallied to score a 2-1 win.
But Kemp, a cornerstone of Melbourne’s defence for the past two seasons, says luckily the defeat did not do too much damage to the club’s position with Melbourne remaining two points clear on top of the ladder and some five points inside the top four with eight rounds remaining.
“It was just a minor hiccup and if we get a good result this weekend we will be back on track,” Kemp told www.melbournevictory.com.au on Tuesday.
“We are still in a good position and we are still on top of the table after we had a few results go our way (last round).”
But Kemp warned Melbourne’s lofty standing meant teams such as Wellington last week and the bottom-placed Glory this week would throw everything at the Victory in order to claim a big scalp.
“It’s tough being up there (in top spot) because every team wants to beat you and teams really lift when they play against us,” he said.
“That is just a challenge for us and we have to step up every week regardless of who we are playing against.”
“And if we don’t play well this week we will probably get bitten again.”
But Kemp believes the quality and depth within Melbourne’s squad will ensure the team bounces back quickly.
And he said players know their spot in the team could be at risk with another poor performance.
“The squad is amazing, we have got so many players right through the squad that can step in and play in the starting 11 and every week thee is pressure to keep your spot,” he said.
“But that is the best position to be in and that is when you get the best out of your players when they know that if they have a bad game they won’t be in the team next week.”
Kemp is one player who has been a regular throughout his time at Melbourne and the 28-year-old defender says he could not be happier with his decision to join the Victory after being part of the Adelaide team which was on the wrong end of a 6-0 drubbing from Melbourne in the 2006/07 grand final.
“That was a tough game, to go down in that fashion, but it was something I looked at and said I want to be a part of that,” he said of the lasting impression Melbourne Victory made on him that hot day at Telstra Dome nearly two years ago.
“I want to play that kind of attractive, attacking football and that was part of my decision to come here because that is the way Melbourne Victory plays its football.”
“I love being here, it’s really worked out well and I am happy in this city – it’s a great town and the club has been fantastic so it’s been a good move for me.”
