Wellington Phoenix 4-1 Newcastle Jets: Phoenix dominate at home

Wellington Phoenix have completed their most dominate performance of the season with a 4-1 thrashing of Newcastle Jets in front of just under 8,000 fans at Westpac Stadium.

Played in horrible but typical Wellington conditions, with strong winds and rain swirling around the stadium, the Phoenix made the most of their chances and added to Newcastle’s poor record in Wellington.

The Phoenix came out of the blocks fast, with Nathan Burns scoring their first goal after only 4 minutes. The new Phoenix signing latched on to a low ball across the mouth of goal from Jeremy Brockie to score his second goal for his new club.

After their stunned start Newcastle slowly worked their way back into the match and created a few opportunities of their own with Andrew Hoole’s shot into the side of the net their best chance of the half. However it was the Phoenix who controlled the middle of the park with Albert Riera, Roly Bonevacia and Alex Rodriguez always seeming to have the advantage over their opposites.

Wellington would claim one more before halftime with Burns scoring again in the 42nd minute courtesy of a brilliant through ball from Michael McGlinchey. Jets keeper Mark Birighitti did enough to stop the initial shot from Burns but the Nix striker managed to nudge the rebound into the net from a awkward position on the ground.

The Phoenix continued their good play in the second half with Burns providing an unmarked McGlinchey with a ball at the back post which he made no mistake in sending into the net to put his team up 3-0 after 63 minutes. It was McGlinchey’s third goal in as many matches for his new club and made him the first player to score in his first three Phoenix games.

The Jets would get one back through a Joel Griffiths header on the back 0f a fast counterattack but it would be the Phoenix who had the last say through Andrew Durante. With the match entering stoppage time the Phoenix captain entered the Jets box where he got his head onto a well placed free kick from Rodriguez and sent the ball flying past Birighitti to end the night on a high for the Wellingtonians.

The result sends the Phoenix up into the top four on the A-League ladder while Newcastle remain in eighth spot with just one point after three rounds.

Wellington Phoenix: 4 (Burns 4′, 42′, McGlinchey 63′, Durante 90+4′)

Newcastle Jets: 1 (Griffiths 89′)

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