Wellington Phoenix and Newcastle United met in their friendly clash on Saturday in the final match of the Magpies's pre-season tour.
Alan Pardew's side were looking to build on their success in their 4-0 win over Sydney FC as they ramped up their preparations for the start of the Premier League season.
Yoan Gouffran scored the only goal of the game in the 41st minute to hand Newcastle the win in a hard-fought contest at the Westpac Stadium.
Read below to see how all the action unfolded.
Good morning and welcome to the live commentary of the pre-season friendly game between the Wellington Phoenix and Newcastle United.
Alan Pardew's side are continuing their preparations for the start of the Premier League season which is just three weeks away, when they will take on Manchester City on August 17.
The Magpies were in decent form in their first match of the tour as they defeated Sydney FC 4-0 with strikes from new players Siem de Jong and Emmanuel Riviere, while Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Adam Armstrong also got on the scoresheet in an impressive outing. Pardew will be hopeful that his side can continue that form through the rest of the pre-season and into their Premier League campaign.
The team news has been announced for the game and we'll start with Newcastle.
NEWCASTLE STARTING XI: Elliot, Yanga-Mbiwa, S.Taylor, Coloccini, Haidara, Anita, Colback, Abeid, Gouffran, de Jong, Riviere.
NEWCASTLE SUBSTITUTES: Alnwick, Woodman, Aarons, Armstrong, Campbell, Dummett, Perez, Satka, Vuckic.
WELLINGTON STARTING XI: Moss, Muscat, Gorrin, Burns, Brockie, Boyd, Riera, Fenton, Sigmund, Durante, Doyle.
WELLINGTON SUBSTITUTES: Italiano, Caira, Boxall, Brindell-Smith, Cunningham, Rufer, Hicks, Lia, Krishna, Ridenton, Blake.
Pardew names a strong starting lineup for his side's final pre-season game of their tour. New signings De Jong, Riviere and Colback all feature in what appears to be a 4-4-1-1 formation with De Jong playing just behind the Frenchman in attack. Yanga-Mbiwa plays at right-back with Haidara at left-back, while Steven Taylor and captain Fabricio Coloccini anchor the defence in the middle.
Newcastle will be looking to find their form early in the season to put their miserable end to the last campaign out of their minds. They looked strong against Sydney and if they can harness that form and if their new players hit the ground running, there's a chance they could challenge for the spot in the Europa League.
The players are out on the pitch and we should be underway shortly.
Just before kickoff we're going to have a moment of remembrance for Newcastle United fans John Alder and Liam Sweeney who died when Flight MH17 crashed in the Ukraine last week.
A waiata is performed in tribute to @NUFC fans Liam Sweeney & John Alder #FootballUnited14 pic.twitter.com/8zBbFxgx1s
— Wellington Phoenix (@WgtnPhoenixFC) July 26, 2014
Another pre-kickoff event as the Maori tribe perform the Haka in the centre circle at the Westpac Stadium.
We're underway in this pre-season clash.
De Jong picks the ball up deep in midfield for the Magpies and he tries to pick out the run of Gouffran over the top of the defence, but Durante does well to break up the ball and he leaps to knock it out of the path of the Frenchman.
De Jong is involved again in the early stage this time in a more advanced position and he links up well with Abeid, who tries to release his run into the box with a reverse pass, but Durante is there again to break up the play.
CHANCE! Wellington have a great opportunity as Boyd slips a through ball into the path of Brockie in the area. The forward only has Elliot to beat, but he can't sort his feet out in time and Coloccini dispossesses him before he can get an effort away.
De Jong shows his quality again for the Magpies as he picks up the ball in midfield and drives towards goal. He powers a shot at goal from distance, which goes inches over the bar.
Haidara shows a burst of pace as he sprints past Muscat down the left and he whips a dangerous ball across the face of goal, but no player in Newcastle shirt is there to turn the ball goalwards.
CHANCE! Neat play on the right allows Boyd room inside the box and he tries to turn Taylor and after miskicking his first chance, he gets another attempt at goal but he can only fire his shot into the side-netting.
The Phoenix are edging the game at the moment as Newcastle are struggling to hold any meaningful possession of the ball. Neither side look into any rhythm yet, but passing is looking easier for Wellington.
Elliot slices a clearance right into the path of Riera who releases Fenton down the right and he does well to keep the ball in play. Yanga-Mbiwa comes across to challenge for the ball and shoves the defender over, but the referee waves play on much to the surprise of all the Wellington players.
Colback almost weaves his way into the box between Durante and Sigmund, but the defenders do well to poke the ball behind for a corner. The midfielder lifts a cross into the box from the right, which evades everyone in the box and the Phoenix manage to hack the ball clear.
CHANCE! Another cross into the box causes trouble for the Phoenix as Haidara tries to find De Jong and Riviere in the middle. The ball almost breaks for Riviere but Durante is on hand to divert the ball clear.
Anita gets down the right and whips a dangerous cross into the middle. The ball falls invitingly to the feet of Colback but before the midfielder can move Rodriguez comes in with an inch-perfect tackle to win the ball. Great defending so far from the Phoenix.
Boyd does well down the left and he whips in a cross to the near post for Brockie, who makes contact with a powerful header and his effort crashes off the post. However, the striker was flagged offside so the effort wouldn't have counted anyway.
SHOT! Rodriguez picks the ball up in the midfield and drives at the Newcastle defence. He plays a neat one-two with Brockie on the edge of the area, but he gets his effort all wrong on as he curls his left-footed shot well wide of the post.
CHANCE! Wellington come close again and it's Rodriguez who fails to hit the target with a glorious chance after Brockie had done brilliantly to break upfield and feed the midfielder on the edge of the area.
SUBSTITUTION: A problem for De Jong as he is forced off and looking in discomfort as he makes his way off the pitch. He's replaced by Perez.
CHANCE! Wellington come close again and this time Elliot is forced into a save as Doyle raided down the left and hit a cross into the middle. Brockie was ready to pounce but he let the ball go and the keeper was forced into a brilliant reaction stop.
Another injury scare for Newcastle as Abeid goes down in pain in a challenge with Boyd. He appears to be ok after a little bit of wincing on the floor.
SAVE! Wellington can't clear their lines from a corner and the ball falls to Gouffran on the edge of the area. The Frenchman drills a shot at goal and Moss does brilliantly to tip the ball over the bar to keep his side level.
SAVE! Moss keeps his side level again he makes a great reaction stop at his near post this time to deny Perez, as the midfielder's stinging shot from the left looked to creeping in.
GOAL! Wellington 0-1 Newcastle (Gouffran)
Newcastle take the lead and it has been coming as Gouffran heads the ball over the top of Moss after latching onto Anita's cross from the left. The keeper was in no-man's land there as he tried to claim the ball and it was an easy finish for the Frenchman to loop the ball into the net.
There will be two minutes of added time.
CHANCE! Newcastle should be two goals ahead but Colback is denied by a great last-ditch tackle by Durante to keep the Phoenix in the game. Riviere raided down the left and managed to hold the ball in the box and played a perfect pass for the run of the midfielder, who shot first time, but his effort was deflected wide by Durante.
HALF-TIME: Wellington 0-1 Newcastle
Newcastle lead at the break in their pre-season clash with the Wellington Phoenix thanks to Yoan Gouffran's 41st-minute strike. It was an even game for 40 minutes, but just before half time the Magpies really upped the ante and got a deserved goal as they captitalised on a mistake by Moss.
The Phoenix played well in the first half and could have been two goals ahead had they been more clinical in front of goal. Rodriguez and Brockie both missed excellent chances, but their attacking play was promising at times so there is plenty to build on in the second half for Wellington.
The players are back out on the pitch and we should be underway shortly.
SUBSTITUTION: Another change for Newcastle as Abeid is replaced by Rolando Aarons.
We're back underway in this pre-season clash.
First opening of the second half as Haidara finds space down the flank and lifts a cross into the box for Gouffran, but the forward can only direct his header over the bar.
YELLOW CARD: Yanga-Mbiwa goes into the book for a late challenge on Brockie.
Aarons speeds past Muscat down the left for the Magpies and Sigmund is forced to come across to prevent the youngster from advancing further and the defender puts the ball behind for a corner. From the resulting corner, Colback's delivery is poor as it fails to beat the first man.
CHANCE! Elliot makes a good stop to deny Wellington an equaliser as Brockie collected Fenton's through ball in the penalty area, but the keeper managed to palm his left-footed shot past the post. That was a real opportunity for the home side.
A through ball goes right through the middle of the Newcastle defence and Fenton almost latches onto to the pass, but Elliot scampers off his line and manages to grab the ball at the feet of the midfielder.
Wellington win a free kick in a dangerous position as Yanga-Mbiwa brings down Burns on the edge of the box on the left wing.
SUBSTITUTION: Ridenton replaces Fenton for the Phoenix.
CHANCE! Brockie has a glorious chance to fire his side level as he is played one-on-one with Elliot, but he blasts his effort straight at the keeper who palms the ball past the post.
SUBSTITUTION: Double change for Newcastle as Riviere and Yanga-Mbiwa are withdrawn and replaced by Armstrong and Satka.
Another free kick in a dangerous area for the home side but Rodriguez wastes the opportunity as he underhits the ball and allows Newcastle to clear with ease.
SHOT! A loose ball from a clearance from the Phoenix falls into the path of Anita on the edge of the box. The midfielder takes a touch to get the ball out of his feet and fires an effort at goal, but the ball sails over the bar.
Aarons shows his speed and trickery again down the left as he cuts back inside on his right foot and weaves his way into the box. The midfielder beats one challenge, but then Perez takes the ball off his feet and shoots himself and his shot goes over the bar.
The quality of the game has just dropped slightly in the last few minutes as the changes made seemed to have affected the tempo, while the players that have played the entire match are starting to show signs of fatigue.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Rodriguez is replaced by Boxall, while Newcastle also make a change as Haidara goes off for Dummett.
The Phoenix are showing fight and desire as the game nears its end as players are still chasing down the Magpies in their own half and are being willing runners. They might need a moment of magic though to find a leveller in this game.
SUBSTITUTION: Newcastle skipper Coloccini is withdrawn and replaced by Vuckic.
SHOT! Gouffran tries to wrap the game up for Pardew's men as he raids down the right and then gets into the box before firing a left-footed shot at goal, but his effort isn't troubling Moss who watched the ball wide.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Brockie's game comes to an end and he won't get his goal as Rufer replaces him. Meanwhile, Campbell comes on for Gouffran.
The tempo of the game has dropped significantly in the past few minutes as Newcastle seem quite content to sit in and see out the victory. Wellington need to force the issue here.
Newcastle are nearly in again for a second goal as Colback lays a pass into the path of Perez. However, the midfielder tries to be too much and his attempted backheel to Anita is intercepted and cleared.
There will be four minutes of added time.
FULL-TIME: Wellington Phoenix 0-1 Newcastle United
Newcastle finish their pre-season tour of New Zealand with a 100% record after beating the Wellington Phoenix thanks to a strike from Yoan Gouffran. Wellington put up an excellent contest and should have probably earned a draw but their finishing let them down and allowed the Magpies to claim the victory.
Thanks for joining our commentary this morning. Be sure to stay with Sports Mole for all over coverage of pre-season as well as the ongoing Commonwealth Games. But from me now, it's goodbye.
Written by
Simon Sinclair
Simon Sinclair
