Ulises Davila delivered the killer blow, as Western Sydney slumped to a contentious 2-1 loss to Wellington Phoenix in Auckland, extending their miserable A-League run to four successive defeats.
Mexican Davilia converted a hotly contested penalty in the 89th minute to hand Wellington their third straight win and leave the visitors bursting with frustration, after dominating most of an entertaining encounter at Eden Park on Saturday.
Wanderers players complained bitterly, after referee Daniel Elder made the key ruling, when Davila's strike on goal blasted into the hand of adjacent midfielder Pirmin Schwegler inside the box.
Video official Nick Waldron advised Elder to take a look at the replay, and the players in red and black were furious when he pointed to the spot and surrounded him after the full-time whistle.
Earlier, Nicolai Muller's first goal for the Wanderers cancelled out the game's opener from Wellington winger Jaushua Sotirio against the Sydney club he represented for the five previous seasons.
Both teams were unchanged from a week ago, but their approach was vastly different.
Wellington dominated their win over Adelaide last week, but were completely shut out in the first half by a Western Sydney side that bossed the midfield and looked set to put their patchy efforts of recent weeks behind them.
Muller was the game's most dangerous figure, testing Phoenix goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic several times, as his team unleashed nine shots to two before the break.
Sotirio's opener came two minutes into the second spell, via a brilliant flick on from England striker David Ball. The speedy winger raced through, before cleverly lobbing goalkeeper Daniel Lopar.
Muller barely had space on a tight angle in the 64th minute, but rattled home a pinpoint shot inside the far post.
Davila's goal was his sixth for the season and his fourth from the penalty spot.
He becomes just the third Phoenix player to score goals in four successive games.
