Wellington Phoenix took a giant step towards reaching the Hyundai A-League play-offs for a second successive season at Westpac Stadium on 30 January, but while their 1-0 defeat of fellow contenders Newcastle Jets earned the home team a record fifth successive home victory, it was a far from attractive spectacle, to put it mildly. Indeed, with so much at stake for both teams, this six-pointer was genuinely nerve-wracked, and it showed in the performances of both teams, with very little quality football produced throughout the match. Possession was given away far too cheaply at times, and there were very few instances of three or more passes being struck together in the opposition's half of the pitch, stray passes and interceptions being the norm, throughout much of the first half in particular. There was just one noteworthy moment in the first thirty-five minutes of this contest, and it proved to be the most decisive one of all. Manny Muscat won the ball halfway inside his own half and instantly fed Marco Rojas, who stormed down the right at pace before whipping an inviting cross into the near post area. Arriving on cue was Dylan MacAllister, and he swept a first-time shot across Ben Kennedy into the far corner of the net to give Wellington a priceless one-goal lead over opponents whose need to win this game was every bit as great as that of the home team, who were cheered on by a buoyant 10,917-strong crowd throughout proceedings. That incident aside, the first half was largely uninspiring, only coming to life again in the 38th minute when Rojas turned Sam Gallaway this way and that down the left before curling in a cross which Nick Ward only just failed to get on the end of. Newcastle responded with their first attack of note in the match. Ryan Griffiths and Marko Jesic worked their way down the left to get in behind Wellington's defence and set up Jeremy Brockie for a chance to score against his countrymen. His attempted lob, under the challenge of Andrew Durante, ended up in Danny Vukovic's hands. The 'keeper sparked a counter-attack which Ward and Tim Brown ignited by releasing Rojas down the right once more, in a manner similar to that which brought about the goal. The same recipe was followed - an early ball into the near post - and MacAllister was on hand to meet it again, only this time he stumbled at the vital moment, allowing Kennedy to save at his feet. The final act of note in a dreary half saw Brockie squander a glorious chance to equalise. Jelic stormed through the middle and slipped the ball through to the striker - for once, not offside - but the All White's finish, when one-on-one with Vukovic, was akin to a pass-back to the 'keeper. Newcastle produced the better football in the second spell, but anything was bound to be an improvement on the first half showing of both teams. It was Wellington who had the first chance after half-time, however, Tony Lochhead thrashing a shot into the side-netting after working an opening with Rojas.

The visitors responded through Jesic, who stampeded downfield once more before unleashing a thirty yard screamer which cannoned off the left-hand post of Vukovic, who was rooted to the spot as the ball careered past him five minutes into the half. Nine minutes later, Newcastle pressed again, Jobe Wheelhouse picking out Tarek Elrich on the right. He worked a one-two with Ryan Griffiths before lobbing in a cross which allowed the latter to execute a bicycle kick which brought the very best out of Vukovic, his fine sprawling save to his write denying a certain goal. Wellington responded through Brown, who had one of his quieter games on this occasion. In the 65th minute, he swooped on a Newcastle defensive error as MacAllister carried out the "fox in a hen-house" role to perfection, and fair battered a shot from the edge of the penalty area towards the target. The ball flew inches over the bar. Disciplinary concerns were fast becoming a factor in this match, with referee Chris Beath having already brandished the yellow card to two Wellington players since half-time. Three more were to join their team-mates in his book before the final whistle, with one of them, Ben Sigmund, earning a two-match suspension for collecting his eighth booking of the campaign. He won't be alone in being out of action during this crucial stage of the season, however, for Griffiths will be similarly cooling his heels in frustration after giving the official a verbal serve which prompted referee Beath to stop play immediately and brandish the red card at the Newcastle player, reducing the visitors to ten men for the final 24 minutes of this crucial encounter. The ten men, as so often happens in such circumstances, made light of their reduced numbers, but only for a short while, for it wasn't long afterwards that they appeared to run out of ideas and impetus, allowing Wellington to play out time in rather nervous fashion. They threatened occasionally - Hearfield's 74th minute cross was missed by MacAllister and caught Daniel flat-footed, while Rojas pounced on a stoppage time error by Taylor Regan but was unable to pull the trigger after entering the penalty area. But Wellington were more content to hold what they had - a 1-0 lead which, with the three points that brought them, means they now occupy the much coveted sixth and last play-off spot with three games remaining, the next two of which are across the Tasman, where Ricki Herbert's team's record in the 2010-11 campaign is decidedly poor. This play-off race ain't over yet by a long chalk! Wellington:     Vukovic; Hearfield (booked, 56), Sigmund (booked, 80), Durante (booked, 53), Lochhead; Lia (booked, 67) (Greenacre, 71), Muscat (booked, 82), Brown; Ward (Daniel, 60), MacAllister, Rojas Newcastle:     Kennedy; Gallaway, Regan, Topor-Stanley (booked, 26), D'Apuzzo; Elrich (Virgili, 73), Fiorentini, Wheelhouse, Griffiths (sent off, 66); Brockie (Haliti, 69), Jesic Referee:     Chris Beath