KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand men's Olympics soccer team continued their build-up to Beijing, beating last year's A-League minor premiers Central Coast Mariners 2-1 in Wahroonga yesterday.
Striker Daniel Ellensohn put New Zealand in front after 20 minutes with a wide freekick that curled into the box and inside the far post.
The Oly-Whites doubled their lead with another set-piece 14 minutes later, as a Cole Peverley corner took a number of deflections before eventually crossing the line.
The Mariners grabbed a goal back 15 minutes from fulltime, breaking down the left hand flank through former Wellington Phoenix winger Ahmed Elrich who pulled the ball back across goal for Australian international striker Sasho Petrovski to finish from close range.
After splitting a two-match series with Chile under-23s and being edged 2-3 by a strong Australian under-23 side on Saturday, the win is a promising sign for Stu Jacobs' team as they prepare for their Olympic opener against China on August 7.
"These games are all stepping stones to Beijing, but it's nice to win them," Jacobs said.
"We've just beaten an A-League side and got very close to Australia so you can't ask for much more than that considering our preparation."
The Oly-Whites fly to Jakarta today where they will play club sides PSMS Medan and Persija and the Indonesian national team.
Former Fulham midfielder Simon Elliot will join the squad on July 18, with Celtic striker Chris Killen arriving in Jakarta on July 23.
Blackburn captain Ryan Nelsen meets the side in Beijing to complete the over-age players quota of three.
- NZPA
