Brisbane Roar coach Warren Moon says Wednesday night's A-League top-four clash with Wellington Phoenix at McDonald Jones Stadium is the perfect litmus test for his team.
Both sides are jostling for prime positions come the finals - with Wellington three points behind second-placed Melbourne City while the Roar are a further two points adrift in fourth.
"We can't control what's around us or what's behind us, we've just got to worry about the games that we've got," Moon said.
"It's a good challenge, a good test, and (if) we get the three points that sets us up nicely for a run in the finals."
Wellington have won just one of four matches since the season restart, while Brisbane have one win and a loss from two games.
Moon got his first points as coach with a 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory, giving Brisbane breathing room before the clash with the Phoenix and their regular-season closer against Sydney FC.
"It's almost like a dress rehearsal - if we get a positive result, it builds a confidence momentum," Moon said.
"But if we don't, then we know where we stand and we know what we need to improve on.
"So it's actually a really good marker for us, these next two games, to see where we're at."
Wellington are without experienced defender Luke DeVere after he was sent off in their loss to Western Sydney.
The Phoenix did not name Tim Payne or Oliver Sail in their squad, despite the pair serving their suspensions.
STATS THAT MATTER
* Wellington have won just one game of four (L2, D1) since the season restart.
* Scott McDonald has scored five goals in 11 appearances since joining Brisbane.
* Ulises Davila has scored 12 goals for Wellington, fifth in the golden boot race, with Gary Hooper (seven) and David Ball (six) their next best.
Australian Associated Press
