Two out-of-form sides visibly lacking confidence combined to produce an error-strewn display that would undoubtedly have sent the armchair neutral scurrying for the remote.

As crowds go, meanwhile, the picture was equally bleak. Morning showers, a cold, blustery wind and the rival draw of the WAFL Grand Final at nearby Subiaco Oval can all be trotted out as excuses, but the fact remains that almost half of those supporters who turned out to witness Glory’s defeat at the hands of Queensland just a fortnight ago declined to return to Members Equity Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Ironically, however, Glory’s lowest ever A-League crowd may well have been in attendance at the most important game in the club’s A-League history. It is undeniable that defeat at the hands of Wellington would have left Glory staring into the abyss.

With daunting road trips to Central Coast and Melbourne looming in the next two weeks, Dave Mitchell’s side could well have found themselves adrift at the foot of the ladder with a third of the season gone and just a single point on the board.

Just how palatable the club’s owners would have found such a catastrophic position is open to debate, but Glory’s future may well have been in serious doubt.

The pressure on Eugene Dadi’s shoulders as he prepared to take a penalty on Sunday was therefore so great, it is somewhat surprising that the former Ivory Coast managed to stay upright during his run-up.

Fortunately the likeable frontman was probably unaware of just exactly what was riding on his ability to beat Glen Moss in the Phoenix goal and he was calmness personified as he rifled the ball home.

One hard-fought, scrappy victory does not of course mean that all is suddenly rosy in the Glory garden. It is quite conceivable that Dave Mitchell’s men could return from their double-header road trip empty-handed and propping up the ladder once more, but at least the immediate crisis has been staved off and some vital breathing space secured.

Central Coast and Melbourne will provide far tougher challenges than a limited Wellington outfit who seemed to have crossed the Tasman with no greater ambition than securing a point and Glory will have to stand up to the plate.

There were undoubtedly indications on Sunday that the home side are capable of doing just that. Wayne Srhoj’s presence in a holding midfield role undoubtedly shored up Glory’s much-maligned defence, while allowing James Robinson to fill a more creative role. Srhoj is clearly not yet fully match-fit and Robinson does not possess the same class as the injured Amaral, but both were quietly effective against Wellington and will be better for the run.

Jamie Harnwell’s return, meanwhile, clearly lifted the side’s intensity and physicality and gave the back four a far more solid, no-nonsense look. At the other end of the pitch, Dadi continues to hit the back of the net on a regular basis, although he and Nikita Rukavytsya must play closer together if their strike partnership is to bear consistent fruit throughout the remainder of the season.

Dave Mitchell was rightly reluctant to talk of corners being turned or lights appearing at the end of tunnels, but his relief at Sunday’s victory was etched across his face at the post-match press conference and he will immediately focus his attentions to Friday’s trip to Bluetongue Stadium.

It is a very short turnaround, but that may actually work in Glory’s favour as there is less time for the confidence gleaned from Sunday’s win to dissipate and for self-doubt to creep back in. With a trip to the Telstra Dome looming in Round 7, the West Australians are set to chalk up more air miles than Kevin Rudd over the next two weeks, but if they can pick up a couple of draws or a win, their season may not be beyond repair.