Phoenix thump Jets; lose Ifill

The Phoenix have ended the Jets’ seven match unbeaten streak in dominant fashion as they grabbed three first half goals and one late on to win at Westpac Stadium tonight.

Tim Brown, Chris Greenacre, debutant Marco Rojas and Dylan MacAlister all scored in an important 4-0 win for the Phoenix over their playoff rival, the fifth-placed Newcastle Jets.

The Phoenix got off to a terrible start when they lost Paul Ifill after ten minutes. The game had started quietly enough, with both sides trading spells of possession in the Wellington sunshine, but Wellington were rocked when Ifill drove towards goal, hit the ball off his left and stayed crumpled on the pitch after twisting his left knee under his weight as he fell awkwardly.

His reaction as he was stretchered off suggested it may well be a serious injury.

Wellington could be excused for being shell-shocked after losing their star player so early, but it took them just another eight minutes for them to snatch the lead as the Jets conceded a rare early goal.

Young Marco Rojas wove his way through two or three Jets players down the right hand side, Greenacre picked the ball up, got to the byline and floated a pinpoint ball to the far post to the arriving Tim Brown. Brown could barely miss and duly put the ball in the back of the net for his sixth of the season.

Wellington’s two wide men were getting plenty of ball and the one on the right – on debut Marco Rojas – grabbed Wellington’s second on the half hour mark. Brown took a quick free kick after Bertos was fouled just outside the box, Muscat floated the ball to the far post, the big man MacAlister nodded down and 18-year-old Marco Rojas was on hand with a tidy finish on debut.

2-0 and the Jet’s seven game unbeaten run was looking in serious danger.

Right before half time it was three. A Marco Rojas corner wasn’t dealt with and Greenacre was on hand to hook the ball goalwards under heavy pressure by Nash. It was cleared off the line but the assistant referee ruled the ball had crossed the line. The Jets were furious but they headed into the break three down nonetheless.

The Jets came out slightly improved in the second half, though they could hardly have been worse.

They got themselves a very decent chance after ten minutes when Haliti somehow found himself with time on the penalty spot, but his finish was poor and Vukovic saved comfortably.

The Jets were growing into the game but continued to get little change out of North and Sigmund at the back. Newcastle were beginning to get the ball into the box, however, as the momentum shifted ever so slightly to the Jets’ side.

Their efforts petered out to nothing, however, and the game drifted to a close somewhat.

With two minutes left the Phoenix got a fourth. Daniel played Brown through, who squared for an unmarked MacAlister. It was a routine finish for MacAlister and he duly found the corner past the advancing Nash.

An early Christmas present for the Phoenix, then, and plenty to think about for the Jets. Wellington were never really out of the playoff race, but if they can find performances like this more consistently they will be well and truly a part of it.