Adam Brown at Westpac Stadium
A crowd of 4,853 watched the Wellington Phoenix dominate proceedings in its opening 2008 Pre-Season Cup match against the Central Coast Mariners at Westpac Stadium to run out 1-0 victors.
The hosts started brightly, with the first real chance of the match falling to Phoenix striker Shane Smeltz in the 14th minute, after some clever interplay between Daniel Cortes and Vince Lia resulted in a smart cross across the face of goal which the Phoenix striker was agonisingly close to connecting with.
The home team continued to press throughout the half, with new signing Leo Bertos having two good chances to test Mariners' stopper Danny Vukovic in both the 26th and 33rd minute. However, the keeper was equal to the task on both occasions.
The Mariners' chances were few and far between, and other than a defensive mix-up for the home side in the 29th minute, they were largely untroubled by the visitors.
Wellington continued to press forward, and despite concentrated efforts in the visitors' half, they were unable to break the deadlock, with the half time period resulting with the scores at 0-0.
The Mariners came out firing in the second stanza, and had a good chance two minutes into the second half courtesy of a defensive mistake from the home side. The Phoenix managed to escape unscathed however, thanks to a frantic clearance from skipper Durante.
One of the best chances of the evening fell to Smeltz in the 49th minute. Smart play from Ferrante and Bertos opened up the visitors, allowing the striker space to test Vukovic.
Smeltz again came close again in the 60th minute, after a Leilei Gao break found Daniel in space on the right wing. The big striker met his cross at the near post, with his flick on goal falling into the waiting arms of Vukovich in the Mariners’ goal.
The Mariners tested the home side's stopper Glen Moss in the 62nd minute, with Dylan McAllister's header being directed towards him from an Adrian Caceres cross.
The Phoenix threatened again in the 64th minute, with some aerial ping pong in the box following a clever backheel from the impressive Daniel, with a first-time cross floating across the face of goal. Gao picked up the ball near the sideline and teased a return ball into the box, with Vukovic palming the ball invitingly across the goalmouth. Unfortunately for the home side, no-one was able to connect with the loose ball.
Smeltz tested Vukovic again in the 67th minute, with a solid strike from 18 yards out being palmed away to deny the All Whites striker an opening goal.
The pressure from the home side finally told in the 72nd minute when Cortes headed home at the far post to open the scoring. A mazy run from Bertos created space on the left wing, with his cross finding Cortes unmarked at the far post to squeeze a header past the impressive Vukovic.
The Mariners almost struck back just a minute later, with Sasho Petrovski's effort beating everyone but the post, with the Phoenix able to scramble the ball clear.
The first and only booking of the match was given to the Phoenix's Karl Dodd in the 83rd minute for dissent. The subsequent play resulted in a breakaway for the home side, with Vukovic again the savior for the visitors with an impressive save from Gao's fierce drive.
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