Wellington Phoenix have hit their straps in style, easing past Macarthur FC 4-1 at home to claim their first win of the A-League Men season.
In the Phoenix's first game at Sky Stadium since round two, Ben Old delivered the lead just before halftime.
Macarthur's Daniel Arzani and Lachie Rose combined for a 59th-minute equaliser but Clayton Lewis' masterful free kick and later goals to Ben Waine and Bozhidar Kraev sealed three points.
"It was very important for us today to get our first win," coach Ufuk Talay told reporters.
"I don't think we've been playing bad football, but we've been leaking easy goals and even today I thought it was a soft goal we conceded, to let them back into the game
"But overall I thought we were the most in control of the game."
Fringe Socceroo Arzani, eyeing World Cup selection, had an entertaining duel with Wellington full-back Callan Elliot.
Arzani teed up Rose's goal, was denied by Phoenix goalkeeper Oli Sail in the 20th minute, created plenty of chances and was arguably lucky to avoid a yellow card for diving in an attempt to win a penalty.
Anthony Carter spurned golden chances to give Macarthur the lead in the first eight minutes.
Wellington snatched the lead three minutes into first-half injury time when Elliot popped in a wonderful ball and Old glanced home.
Macarthur levelled in the 59th minute when Arzani burst forward to slip through Rose who toe-poked past Sail.
But Lewis' lovely looping left-footed free kick dropped in off the underside of the crossbar to restore Wellington's lead in the 65th.
Waine swept home their third two minutes later while David Ball teed up Kraev for a tap-in in the 75th minute.
"It (coming to Wellington) was always going to be a difficult test, but I didn't see that coming," Bulls manager Dwight Yorke told reporters.
"Little bit disappointed. We felt that at 1-1 we were right in the game
"To concede such a goal - I mean it's a wonderful free kick so sometimes you have to take your hat off to that - but certainly after that we let ourselves down in terms of the other two goals we conceded
"So some work to be done, we're going to have to address these things but It's certainly a learning curve for me as a manager."
Both teams wore armbands with the name 'Lily' on them in tribute to injured Macarthur skipper and former Wellington star Ulises Davila's wife Lily, who died in May.
The crowd and players stopped for a moment's applause when the clock reached the 30-minute mark as Lily was 30 when she died.
