With the scores locked at 0-0 at fulltime, it was Jets keeper and captain Ante Covic who proved the hero for the visitors, denying Shane Smeltz and Richard Johnson to win the shootout 4-2 in an entertaining and open match played in front of 5174 spectators.

While the result wasn’t what Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert had hoped for, he was nonetheless beaming after the match.

“We have just shown again that we can be totally dominant,” he said. “We weren’t really under too much pressure and we certainly created plenty of chances.”

Several of those chances fell to Phoenix and All Whites striker Shane Smeltz, but one of the heroes from the Phoenix’s stunning 2-1 defeat of the Melbourne Victory last week was just off target in demanding, windy conditions.

Brazilian midfield playmaker Felipe impressed in his run-on debut for Phoenix, making several searching left flank runs and feeding his front men. He was well supported by fellow countryman Daniel, who was given a roaming commission in midfield.

Left back Tony Lochhead – who had an outstanding match on defence and in pressing forward – put a delightful through ball to Smeltz in the 49th minute but the striker’s shot went just wide from inside the penalty area.

Smeltz had the best chances to break the deadlock in the second half – in the 82nd minute when his strike on goal from inside the penalty area was decisively blocked by Covic and in the last minute of added time when his close range shot with just Covic to beat went wide.

Phoenix skipper Ross Aloisi agreed that his side was unlucky not to get the result.

“I thought we were in control and we created a lot of chances and won a lot of ball high up the pitch. We could have easily won the game and we should have, in my opinion.

“We’ve shown throughout the pre-season that we can create chances and put them away. Unfortunately that didn’t happen against the Jets.”

Aloisi was pleased with how his side was shaping up ahead of the Phoenix’s Hyundai A-League 2007/08 season opener against the Melbourne Victory at Westpac Stadium on Sunday, August 26.

“I think during the 2007 Pre-Season Cup we’ve achieved what we’re looking for as players and as a unit,” he said. “We’re all looking forward to the season starting in two weeks’ time.”

Herbert agreed with his skipper: “The club’s come on now for August 26 and I think we’ve showed that we’ll be very tough to beat this season.”

Newcastle coach Gary Van Egmond was also full of praise for the Hyundai A-League new boys, singling out Smeltz and Daniel as two players that had impressed him.

"There'll be a few areas we can improve but it was always the kind of game we had to grind the result out - and for us we were quite pleased that we didn't concede," he said.

"Both teams had a couple of very good chances but unfortunately neither took them. Last week we probably had the same amount of chances and we put three away."

He added: "I thought Phoenix's formation and brand of football was a lot more pleasing to the eye – even in those conditions – to what they've played prior.

"I think they've bought well. Obviously Daniel looks like a handful for any team that he comes up against, and Smeltz up front is a handful as well.

"I thought they were well organised and did well."

Wellington Phoenix 2
Ross Aloisi, Jeremy Christie.
Newcastle Jets 4
Joel Griffiths, Mark Bridge, Matt Thompson, Tarek Elrich.
HT: 0-0
After 90 minutes: 0-0.