Phoenix took an early lead, Bertos tapping in to finish off a fine move and the points were safe when Ifill thumped in a great strike with the outside of his boot after the break.

Phoenix have not lost at the venue - a run of 21 A-League games - since October 2008 and never really looked likely to on a sunny Sunday afternoon in the New Zealand capital.

After a fairly tepid opening 10 minutes the game was sparked into life with an early goal for Bertos.

Some good lead-up work from Manny Muscat left the right back with a one-on-one with goalkeeper Jess Van Strattan but he slid the ball across to Bertos who had the simplest of tap-ins for his fifth goal in 48 appearances for Phoenix.

Chances for either side were few and far between after that. Matt Simon should have done better on 18 minutes when he sent his header wide then a determined run by Joshua Rose was halted by a well-timed tackle from Phoenix skipper Andrew Durante.

Phoenix could have extended their lead late in the first half but Tim Brown glanced his header wide then Dylan Macallister, playing against his former team, just failed to get on the end of a Paul Ifill cross into the penalty area.

Ifill, playing in his 400th senior game, did eventually double Phoenix's lead with a bullet-like left-footed shot in to the right hand corner of Van Strattan's net on 61 minutes.

Just a few minutes earlier new recruit Oscar Roberto "Toto" Cornejo was introduced for Bertos to make his Phoenix debut.

Then the hard-working Oliver Bozanic forced a good save from Phoenix keeper Mark Paston on 79 minutes and that was as close as either side came to a goal as the clock wore down.