New A-League club Melbourne Heart are slowly adapting to life in the top flight with improved performances each week.

The Heart had only two points after their first four matches but have rallied to be on eight after seven but it is the manner in which they have transformed into a side capable of creating plenty of goalscoring opportunities which is the most pleasing part.

Although crowd numbers are down on what the club probably expects, the football they can play will eventually attract those punters who are in need of a sporting fix once the AFL and NRL seasons are over.

Yesterday the Heart dominated most of proceedings to outlast a fast-finishing Wellington Phoenix outfit to win 2-1 and put them to seventh on the table.

The performance was praised by coach John van 't Schip who was delighted with the amount of creativity there was at AAMI Park from his players.

"I think we showed some good football today and we created some good chances to score goals, particularly in the second half," he said.

"At the end of the course, when they made it 2-1 we suffered a little bit, but we managed it very well and worked hard. I have to give all the boys a complement for their performance today.

"We were playing some good football, and nice things for the people to see as well, but in the end, you have to make chances, and we did."

The Heart are now within striking distance of their much more talked about neighbours, the Melbourne Victory, and can set themselves up for the season if they get a positive result against the fifth-placed Brisbane Roar this weekend.

The following weekend, on October 2, the Heart take on the Victory in what could be a season and career-defining fixture.