It was a goal made in Ireland that ignited a battling effort in Wellington, where Otago lost 1-3 in yesterday's New Zealand Football Championship match.
But it was not Terry Phelan who scored. It was Otago's new Irish import Colin Falvey who rocked Wellington back on its collective heels with a seventhminute goal.
Otago had to do without the services of coach Phelan, who could not play because of accumulated yellow cards and chose not to travel, leaving assistant Mike Fridge to take charge.
Second-placed Wellington started without Wiremu Patrick, Peter Halstead, and golden boot leader Graham Little who are all suspended but showed its playing depth as Daniel Ellensohn returned from suspension along with trio Sam Peters, Peter Howe and Sean Douglas back from injury.
Aaron Burgess posted Otago's attacking intent when he broke down the left and shot narrowly over the crossbar. The same striker was foiled minutes later by a desperate last-ditch tackle as he burst through into the penalty area.
Wellington coach Stu Jacob's worst nightmare came true when Otago deservedly went ahead in only the seventh minute.
New Irish import Falvey came in late and high to attack an Otago corner, and powerfully
headed past keeper Phil Imray who has not conceded a goal for seven matches.
Wellington retaliated with a strong spell of pressure, but a couple of good saves by Otago keeper Liam Little and some staunch defending by John Chisholm, Mike Smith and Falvey repelled the home side.
Striker Burgess showed he was in the mood, and after powering a long shot, the feisty Southlander raced through Wellington ranks to produce a one-on-one that keeper Imray desperately blocked.
Then, just as coach Fridge was getting his half-time team talk ready, the multi-talented Costa Rican international Luis Corrales laced a shot from outside the box, that hit the net before heads could turn, and it was 1-1.
As fragile as Otago was just before the break, coach Fridge had his head in his hands immediately after half-time, when Daniel Ellensohn shot Wellington into a 2-1 lead.
To try and inject fresh life, Otago replaced John Lang and Mike Eisenhut with Morgan Day and Andy Pickering, who got an early yellow card for a dubious tackle on Corrales.
But Wellington substitute Sam Blackburn's pace caused havoc on the left wing, and as tackles became more desperate, Mike Smith was booked, and then play stopped for a while after keeper Little was kicked in the face.
In a frenetic finish, Otago might have grabbed a share of the points as Andy Coburn rammed a strong header against Wellington's goal upright.
Then referee James Thian stepped in to hand a yellow card to Sean Douglas, and another to Otago's Pickering who was sent off.
True to its penchant for losing concentration at vital times, Otago allowed space in the 90th minute, for Corrales to race through and round keeper Little to make the final score 3-1.
While there were many positives in the match, including Falvey's goal, it seems whenever the whistle is nigh, Otago switches off. Wellington's three goals were all scored at the beginning or ends of spells of play.
