17-year-old Pia Vlok became the second youngest player to score a Ninja A-League hat-trick as Wellington Phoenix thrashed Newcastle Jets 5-1 on Sunday evening.
Wellington came out firing at No.2 Sportsground and their high octane start was rewarded with a goal in the 10th minute; Pia Vlok lashing a low strike beyond Jets debutant Georgia Ritchie from the edge of the box to make it 1-0.
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Things then got even better for the away side and Vlok as the youngster bagged her and Wellington’s second just five minutes later.
American forward Makala Woods had the ball in the back of the net but the goal was chalked off for a foul inside the box, however seconds later Vlok took aim from distance once again and she found the bottom corner with aplomb to give Bev Priestman’s side a two goal lead.
Four minutes after that, the Nix were in dreamland.
Collecting the ball on the edge of the box, New Zealand international Emma Pijnenburg fired a low shot towards the far corner which crept under the body of debutant Ritchie and the visitors had a three goal lead by the 20-minute mark.
Unfortunately for Jets keeper Ritchie, she’d soon be picking the ball out of the back of the net once again as defender Ellie Walker made it 4-0 in the 24th minute, hooking home Lucia Leon’s looping pass.
Alexis Collins went close to pulling one back for the Jets in the 61st minute but Phoenix keeper Victoria Esson produced an excellent save with her feet before Josie Allan then fired one high over the bar.
With the game already done and dusted all that was left was for Vlok to seal her hat-trick and she did just that in the 65th minute; charging through on goal, Vlok turned Matildas defender Prior inside out before supplying a cool finish beyond the keeper to become the second youngest player to score a Ninja A-League hat-trick.
The Jets home crowd finally had something to cheer for as striker Melina Ayres pounced on a ball inside the box to stab home from close range to make it 5-1.
The game was initially stopped in the 88th minute of the clash at No.2 Sportsground due to a lightning strike in the area, however due to a 30 minute delay then being required, officials made the decision to abandon the match early, with the result standing.
The result means the Nix move up into second on the ladder and now sit just two points behind league leaders Melbourne City.
As for the Jets, Stephen Hoyle’s side sit in ninth place on the ladder after suffering their fourth loss in six games.
