Soccer: Bad week gets even worse for Phoenix

Manny Muscat (centre) challenges Francis Jeffers for the ball. Photo / Getty Images

A bad week just got a whole lot worse for the Phoenix, who slumped to their fifth loss in seven matches after going down in Newcastle last night.

Thumped 0-3 at home by Central Coast last Saturday and under the microscope all week after it emerged that club owner Terry Serepisos owed Inland Revenue about $3.5 million in unpaid taxes, Wellington never really challenged Newcastle as the Jets collected the three points to move up to seventh, above the flagging Phoenix on goal difference.

Next up for Wellington is a Melbourne double-header with matches at home against the Heart on Wednesday and the Victory on Saturday. They will be under pressure to win against the two top-six sides, or risk drifting too far off the pace.

Marko Jesic's strike proved the difference between the two teams, the young striker curling a shot around Wellington goalkeeper Mark Paston in the 55th minute. Wellington pressed for an equaliser but offered too little, too late.

Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert made two changes to the team which lost 0-3 to Central Coast. Nick Ward replaced the suspended Tim Brown in midfield and Troy Hearfield started at right back ahead of Jade North, who only joined the team in Newcastle yesterday after playing 25 minutes as a substitute in Australia's 0-3 loss to Egypt at Cairo on Thursday.

As he has been doing regularly, Herbert tinkered with the system, still searching for an answer to their attacking problems. He went away from the customary 4-3-3, instead using Chris Greenacre and Paul Ifill in a front two with Leo Bertos and Vince Lia in wide midfield roles, Simon Elliott screening the defensive line and Ward pushing further forward.

But the answer didn't come.

Wellington did start with more urgency than recent weeks but the changes did little for their cutting edge, as they again struggled to create opportunities in the final third.

Newcastle looked the more likely on attack but they, too, lacked polish, with both goalkeepers rarely threatened in a scoreless first half.

Jesic had the two best chances of the half but he wasted both.

Towering centre back Nikolai Topor-Stanley went close from a corner when he beat Paston to the ball but could only watch as his header floated over the crossbar.

Wellington did look good at times - certainly better than in their two recent home losses to Central Coast and Brisbane.

Ben Sigmund and Andrew Durante stepped up defensively and there was more intensity in midfield but they were again bereft of creativity and their talisman last season, Ifill, remained quiet.

Mirjan Pavlovic replaced Greenacre up front in the second half but the change was ineffective and Herbert's coaching qualities will be severely tested in the coming weeks with his team's status now critical.

Newcastle Jets - 1
Wellington Phoenix - 0