A chance for the Wellington Phoenix to bounce back from a rare defeat.
The Nix take on Western Sydney Wanderers this Sunday with a top-two spot still in their own hands.
Beating the Wanderers at home and Adelaide on the road next week will lock in a home semifinal for the Nix, and head coach Bev Priestman feels they are well positioned to do so.
“What you’ve seen from this team is that on the back of a loss we’ve generally done a really good job at getting back at it”, she told media on Friday.
“We’re at Porirua Park, I know the players can’t wait to get back there. We are determined, we feel like absolutely we can be better.
“The first half against Sydney we weren’t good enough, and in the last game we weren’t at our best either.
“As much as you can talk about tight turnarounds and poor us and three games in a week, you’ve lost a game, you want to get back on the horse, and you get to do it at home.
“That’s probably a positive place to be, it’s not all doom and gloom.”
Sunday’s game is the third in just over a week for the side, but Priestman is not using a demanding travel schedule as an excuse.
“It’s real. We’re in the thick of it now. I feel like I’m still in the Central Coast right now, had a big travel day yesterday, we were delayed.
“Central Coast are a good team, but we also didn’t deliver our best performance, that’s what we’re frustrated with.
“We’ve got to be where our feet are now, we’ve got a job to do. I know the team are determined that whatever we do, it’s the best we can do.
“Irrespective of what goes on around us, we’re disappointed in our performance and what we dropped on the road, but at the end of the day, we’ve won two out of our last three with two on the road.”
And the message to the players has been clear.
“It’s about accountability. We’ve all reflected, just done a review on what can contribute to that.
“Better comms on the pitch, energy, in both games we looked quite flat.
“That comes at the end of seasons, over the international break we had players away who are big parts of the team.
“At the end of the day, we will never get this moment back. It’s a moment in time that is ours, and us at our best can be way better than that.
“The message now is to go and be a better version of us.”
While the Premier’s Plate now looks unlikely, with Melbourne City only needing a point next week against Newcastle to clinch it for themselves, Priestman’s focus is firmly on her own team.
“It would be unbelievable to do that for this club, for this country, but at the end of the day we’re here for the whole season.
“We’ll do our best, and then what happens with Melbourne City happens.
“I just want two great performances from our last games of the regular season, and then playoffs, whatever that looks like.
“Your mind can do way more than your body. If you want it enough, then you’ll do that.
“That has to be our mindset. It’s about showing up, standing up, and I think that’s what this game is going to come down to.”
The round 21 Ninja A-League game between the Wellington Phoenix and the Western Sydney Wanderers is scheduled to kick off at Porirua Park at 4pm Sunday and will be broadcast LIVE on Sky Sport 3, and on Paramount+ in Australia.
Most recent meeting: 30 December 2025 – Western Sydney Wanderers 0 Wellington Phoenix 3
All time A-League head to head: Phoenix 6W, Wanderers 1W, 2D
Wellington Phoenix squad (two to be omitted): 1. Victoria ESSON (gk), 3. Tiana JABER, 4. Mackenzie BARRY, 5. Ellie WALKER, 7. Grace JALE, 8. Macey FRASER, 11. Manaia ELLIOTT, 14. Lucía LEÓN, 15. Daisy BRAZENDALE, 16. Marisa VAN DER MEER, 20. Emma MAIN, 22. Aimee DANIELI (gk), 23. Brooke NUNN, 24. Pia VLOK, 27. Zoe BENSON, 28. Grace BARTLETT, 30. Mackenzie ANTHONY, 31. Makala WOODS, 32. Emma PIJNENBURG.
Unavailable: 2. CJ BOTT (c) (pregnant), 6. Tessel MIDDAG (injured), 9. Sabitra BHANDARI (injured), 10. Alyssa WHINHAM (injured), 21. Lara WALL (injured).
Western Sydney squad (two to be omitted): 2. Janae DEFAZIO, 3. Wang YING, 4. Poppie HOOKS, 6. Amy CHESSARI, 7. Amy HARRISON, 10. Yuan CONG, 11. Danika MATOS, 12. Brianna EDWARDS, 13. Alvina KHOSHABA, 14. Ella BUCHANAN, 15. Cushla RUE, 17. Allyssa NG SAAD, 20. Sham KHAMIS, 21. Amy BARKER, 22. Alana CERNE, 23. Miriam ZUMAYA, 24. Nikitta FAZZARI, 30. Ava COLLINS, 37. Ena HARADA.
Unavailable: 5. Milly BENNETT, 9. Kim SOEUN (injured), 19. Talia YOUNIS, 25. Holly CASPERS (injured).
