28 Feb 2013

Phoenix beaten again

10:59 am on 28 February 2013

Nothing changed for the Wellington Phoenix post-Ricki Herbert, as they were beaten 2-1 by the Newcastle Jets in their A-League clash in the capital.

A day after Herbert announced he was standing down, caretaker coach Chris Greenacre didn't have anything to smile about as his side trailled 2-0 at half-time after two pieces of poor defending.

A poacher's goal from Jeremy Brockie midway through the second half gave Wellington a glimmer of hope and the striker could have got his side a share of the spoils in the dying minutes only to fire wide.

The win ended the Jets' nine-game winless streak in Wellington capital which stretched back to 2007 and lifted them above the Melbourne Heart into fifth on the ladder.

Before the match, Yellow Fever fans unfurled a banner proclaiming 'Sir Ricki' in recognition of the former coach who had led the team for more than 150 games since their inception in 2007.

The Phoenix remain bottom of the table and host the Melbourne Heart this weekend.