Unbeaten in their past five contests with four wins and a draw, the Phoenix ground out another vital three points with a 1-0 win against the Western Sydney Wanderers at Westpac Stadium in the capital last night.
The contest was more engaging than the scoreline suggested as both sides had their share of chances throughout the evening, although many of the players left their shooting boots at home.
Despite sitting at the bottom of the A-League ladder, the Wanderers are no pushovers as evidenced by their recent triumph in the Asian Champions League.
The busy schedule they endured abroad may have put too much strain on their ability to perform on a weekly basis as they have continued to struggle at domestic level this season. Their coach Tony Popovic has also been linked with a move to English Premier League club Crystal Palace.
Goalkeeper Glen Moss, who recently signed a two-year contract extension with the Phoenix, was busy throughout the game but held firm as Wellington kept their second clean sheet in as many weeks. Skipper Andrew Durante was also immense.
The Phoenix were without midfielder Alex Rodriguez who missed the game due to a broken hand suffered at training on Saturday and he was replaced by veteran Vince Lia.
The break in Rodriguez's hand was only minor though and the Spaniard was expected to be available for Wednesday's New Year's Eve clash with Adelaide in South Australia.
The Phoenix registered the only goal of the game via the dangerous Roy Krishna, who managed to bundle in a rebound in the 14th minute after his penalty attempt was saved by Wanderers custodian Ante Covic.
Krishna won the spot kick for the Phoenix after he was adjudged to have been fouled by Western Sydney defender Daniel Alessi, although it didn't look as though there was an extensive amount of contact on the Fijian international.
That didn't bother Krishna though as he made it five goals in his past six games and he has repaid the faith and time put in to him by coach Ernie Merrick.
The impending departure -- and demise in form -- of Jeremy Brockie opened a door for Krishna and the 27-year-old has cashed in.
Krishna was eventually substituted in the 52nd minute and left the field with a slight limp as he made a beeline for the changing sheds, although it was unclear if he had suffered any serious ailments.
Merrick will be hoping for a positive injury report on Krishna given the Phoenix will be without Nathan Burns for the next two games as the striker will join the Australian national side for their Asian Cup preparations.
After the Phoenix meet Adelaide on Wednesday, they return home for an outing against the Brisbane Roar at Westpac Stadium on Sunday.
It's a busy holiday schedule for the fourth-placed Phoenix but if they can avoid defeat they will continue to cement their place near the top of the A-League.
Wellington Phoenix 1 (Roy Krishna 14), Western Sydney Wanderers 0. Halftime: 1-0.
- Daniel Richardson of NZME. News Service
