Newcastle looked the goods early with Jason Hoffman picking up a double to help the Jets to a 2-0 lead after just 22 minutes. But the Phoenix muscled their way back into the match with defender Ben Sigmund and striker Chris Greenache scoring goals to make it 2-2 at halftime.

Newcastle substitutes Sean Rooney and Jason Naidovski combined to grab the winner six minutes from time to hand last year's wooden spooners a great start to their new campaign in an opening round that produced 17 goals in just five games. The Phoenix can go home with their heads held high after an encouraging performance and the promise of a competitive season.

Newcastle's marquee player Fabio Vignaroli had the first chance of the match in just the fifth minute when Phoenix skipper Andrew Durante fouled former teammate Jason Hoffman just outside the penalty area. The Italian managed to curl his shot around the wall but the ball flew just outside the right post.

It was Vignaorli who helped set up the Jets first goal seven minutes later when he slipped a lovely ball through for Tarek Elrich. He sprinted into a gap from the halfway line before chipping a ball over the top for Jason Hoffman, who managed to get a toe to the ball and lob a shot over Phoenix goalkeeper Mark Paston and into the net.

The Phoenix looked to hit straight back but Newcastle goalkeeper Ben Kenndy was up to the task marking a Durante header before producing a good diving save to keep out a low shot from Leo Bertos at the near post.

The home side doubled their lead in the 22nd minute when Elrich again found space down the right wing. He slide a ball into the area for Jin-Hyung Song, who steadied before drilling a left-foot shot which was parried away by Paston but only into the path of Hoffman who poked in his second goal from six yards out.

Wellington managed to pull one back just four minutes later when Bertos sent a dangerous free-kick into the area from 30-yards out on the right flank. Poor marking from the Jets allowed Wellington defender Ben Signmund a free header inside the box and he made no mistake from close range to make it 2-1.

The Jets went close with Sasho Petrvoski springing the off-side trap only to see his lobbed shot beat Paston but headed away by Phoenix defender Tony Lochhead before Jets skipper Matt Thompson scooped an Adam D'Apuzzo cross narrowly over the bar from close range.

Wellington made it 2-2 just minutes before half-time when Bertos again made his presence felt with a strong run through the centre of the Jets defence. He attracted two defenders before sliding a handy ball to English import Chris Greenache who managed to squeeze a shot under a diving Kennedy to make it all square at the break.

Both sides come out full of running in the second half and it was Elrich who had the first full-blooded chance on the hour mark when he steamed onto a lay-off from Song only to send his shot wide of the target.

The Jets introduced strikers Jason Naidovski and Sean Rooney for Petrovski and Vignaroli mid-way through the second half and the youngsters combined to steal the winner for the home side just when it looked the match might finish in a deserving draw.

Thompson lofted a long through ball for Rooney, who did well to get outside his defender and chip in a left-footed cross for Naidovski who loop his header just wide of Paston into the net for the winner.

Newcastle Jets 3
(Hoffman 12, 22, Naidovski )
Wellington Phoenix 2
(Sigmund 26, Greenache 43)
Crowd 6,654 at EnergyAustralia Stadium