After turning heads with one of their greatest-ever A-League performances, the Wellington Phoenix have dialed up the expectations on themselves.
Defender Steven Taylor believes their emphatic 3-1 win over Sydney FC has added to the internal pressure and will count for nothing, if they can't back it up.
The Phoenix certainly weren't lacking motivation in their statement win, admitting last weekend's VAR horror show had been weighing on their minds all week.
"We came in after that game and the lads were hurt," said Taylor. "We thought we could've won the game.
"All week was a hard one to swallow, we kept getting reminded, everyone telling us we played well - it was frustrating."
They clearly found a way to use that frustration to their advantage, with last weekend's 3-1 win touted as one of the most complete Phoenix performances in recent history.
This weekend, they face bottom-of-the-table Central Coast and coach Mark Rudan has quickly urged his side not to get ahead of themselves.
"It will be a very happy trip back across the Tasman tonight," said Rudan.
Taylor implored his team to continue the momentum in Wellington.
"We have to look to get some back to back wins under our belts and build on it. That was an important win for us."
This weekend's clash is likely to be just as important, as the Phoenix start to find the right gear.
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