Beckham penalty delights the fans

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- David Beckham scored from the penalty spot as the Los Angeles Galaxy beat Wellington Phoenix 4-1 in the second and final match of their tour Down Under.

The crowd jeered when a penalty was awarded after Carlos Pavon was brought down in the 76th minute but they quickly started cheering when Beckham stepped up to take the spot-kick.

He said: "I was surprised. I'm not the penalty taker but Landon (Donovan) told me to have it and I was happy to.I struck it pretty well."

Beckham said it was good for the Galaxy to end their tour on a winning note, following a 5-3 loss to Sydney on Tuesday.

"We played the ball around well and enjoyed it," he said.

The result was of little consequence to the New Zealand record soccer crowd of 31,853, whose roars were generally reserved for the times that the 32-year-old England star touched the ball.

Beckham played the whole match and received the biggest ovation of the night when he removed his shirt and handed it to Phoenix skipper Ross Aloisi at the end.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star showed his class with deft touches and pinpoint long balls, showing vision and composure others on the field could not match.

Aloisi put the home team in front in the 12th minute but the Galaxy went 2-1 up through Clint Mathis and Donovan.

Pavon extended the lead seven minutes into the second spell, and Beckham's penalty rounded off the win.

Beckham was greeted by around 1,000 fans at Wellington airport on Thursday and about 15,000 screaming school children -- and a large number of mothers and a few grandmothers -- turned up at the stadium the following day to watch him train. E-mail to a friend