Jeremy Brockie scored four goals in Wellington’s 5-2 win over Shillong Lajong, as Wellington Phoenix continued their pre-season tour in India.
Jeremy Brockie scored four goals in Wellington’s 5-2 win over Shillong Lajong, as Wellington Phoenix continued their pre-season tour in India.
An off-season signing from Newcastle Jets, Brockie opened the scoring with a sweet lob in the 15th minute after Louis Fenton combined with Paul Ifill to get behind the Shillong defence.
Four minutes before halftime Brockie made it 2-0 with a firm, low strike, then completed his hat-trick in the 60th minute with another low drive.
Shillong-s goals came in the second half when the Phoenix made a number of changes.
A defensive mix up allowed Friday Gbeneme to slip the ball into an empty net and the same player added the second 10 minutes later.
But Brockie’s fourth was the pick of the bunch, a wonderfully powerful volley from a Leo Bertos cross in the 86th minute.
Academy player Tom Biss added the fifth goal in stoppage time, after Brockie nodded on a long throw, to cap a solid senior starting debut.
A beaming Brockie said the last time he scored four goals in a game was “probably in the under 10s”.
Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert was pleased with the result on “an incredibly difficult surface”.
“It was another solid performance on a pitch that didn-t help the fluency of our passing, and I couldn-t fault the work-rate and commitment that led to five quality goals,” Herbert said.
The Phoenix move on to Shillong where they will play an I-League selection in a friendly on Wednesday before taking on either URO United Sikkim or Shillong Lajong in the final of the North East Super Series on Saturday.
