The defeat was Wellington's third consecutive loss and with runaway leaders Brisbane Roar next up, it doesn't get any easier.

“It isn’t the ideal start, but perhaps next week we’ll be the first team to knock off Brisbane,” Durante said.

“We were a bit lethargic and sloppy and they punished us. It isn’t easy. We have the thinnest squad in the A-League and it is taking its toll.”

Nix boss Ricki Herbert admitted his side were below par after losing recent matches despite decent performances.

“I’m not sure we were as good as we have been in recent weeks,” Herbert said. “We weren’t as productive out wide as we have been and that made it difficult.”

He added: “Maybe in three or four weeks we will have 18 or so available with players coming back from injury.”

"We've got three or four, maybe more, of the potential first choice players that aren't here and we just have to deal with that. I think Ben (Sigmund) comes back next week so that gives me one decision to make with one player.

"But that's it. I don't think things are going to change, I've said that a number of times, I think it's status quo and we've got to battle through this year."

Meanwhile, Mariners boss Graham Arnold said he was delighted with a fine team effort.

“I thought the players worked extremely hard for each other tonight, and deserved to win the match,” he said.

“Whenever you come to Wellington and return home with all three points you’ve done something right, because the Phoenix are terribly difficult to beat here [at Westpac Stadium].

“Matt Simon and Bernie Ibini worked well and to their credit got the goals, but I don’t want to single out any individuals. This was a true team effort.

“Now it’s all about travel and recovery, and preparing for our next match against Melbourne Victory at home next weekend which we know will be another incredibly tough test.”

Arnold added his side, who have won two games in a row now, were beginning to find their stride after a different pre-season.

"I thought we would start the season a little bit slower and I take responsibility for that because I chose to do a different pre-season," he said. "A lot of the other teams in Australia did a pre-season of 14 to 16 weeks.

"Before the first game we chose to do an injury prevention programme of core strength and hopefully not getting soft tissue, muscle injuries, and only a six to seven week football pre season, to keep them fresh, to build into the season, as we have Asian Champions League at the back end of the season.

"So I think our ball movement is much better, we're sharper with our feet and also in the mind."