Wellington Phoenix have held on to secure a desperately needed 2-1 victory over Western United in their A-League clash in Wollongong on Friday.
New Mexican recruit Gael Sandoval - on loan from Guadalajara - made his presence immediately by marking his debut with an early goal, stepping up in the 16th minute to slot home a perfectly placed pass from Gary Hooper.
In the 35th minute, Hooper turned to goal scorer, as he cashed in on a silky run and deft delivery from Alex Rufer to give his side a 2-0 lead.
United managed to pull back a goal deep into added time but it was too little, too late, as the Phoenix shook off weeks of COVID-related disruption to clinch their second win of the season and move into eighth on the A-League ladder.
Sidelined since January 5, coach Ufuk Talay said he was impressed by the resilience and sharpness his side showed to snap a four-game losing streak.
"It was also a good performance,” he said. “We started on the front foot, and I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what to expect, what we were going to get out of the players with only three sessions leading into the game.
"But they showed good character and played good football with and without the ball, so overall I’m pleased.
"We have a very young squad, an inexperienced squad, but those visa players, those older boys, are the ones that need to lift the group and lift the team and I think they did that tonight."
Goalkeeper Alex Paulsen was a stand-out for the Phoenix, stifling United's 20 shots on goal with a particularly brilliant diving parry late in the first half.
"[Paulsen] was great," Talay added. "He made the saves that he needed to make.
"He's continued to grow in confidence and look he's doing a fantastic job."
The Phoenix will move on to face Melbourne City in the FFA Cup semi-final next Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix women suffered their seventh straight defeat, with an own goal from Zoe McMeeken handing Adelaide United a 1-0 win.
Wellington Phoenix 2 (Gael Sandoval 16' Gary Hooper 35') Western United 1 (Steven Lustica 90+4'. H/T 2-0
