Sydney FC posted the most dramatic of victories to secure their third consecutive win and a top three spot on the A-League ladder, but coach Frank Farina warns it won't alleviate any pressure on the side.
A 10-man Sydney beat Wellington 2-1 at Allianz Stadium on Saturday with new Serbian recruit Ranko Despotovic coming off the bench to net the winner at the death in his A-League debut.
Richard Garcia put the Sky Blues ahead with a sensational strike in the 35th minute.
But with Pedj Bojic sent off with a second yellow card in the 73rd minute, the Phoenix took advantage with Costa Rican international Kenny Cunningham equalising deep in injury time.
But Despotovic, who only arrived in Australia on Sunday, secured the three points moments later.
It was the first time since 2009 that Sydney have won three games on the trot, having beaten Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart in the last fortnight.
Farina praised his side's lack of complacency after back-to-back wins.
"I said after last week that this game was a potential banana skin," he said on Saturday.
"You win two and everyone gets a bit confident and likes looking at themselves in the mirror and saying how good we are.
"So games like this you can fall apart but we didn't.
"What I've been preaching all along is we need that consistency.
"Three in a row is nice, but it would be even better with four in a row."
Farina has been under fire after a slow start to the season and, despite now sitting in third spot, knows how quickly things can turn after the roller coaster campaign last year.
"When I came here last year we were bottom, every game was enormous pressure to win," he said.
"So it's nice to be a little higher up but that pressure is still there, it doesn't go away.
"We can't get carried away with it, it's just three points.
"You guys had me sacked three weeks ago.
"The reality is that's what it's all about - results.
"Especially at Sydney, it's a huge club with huge demands and huge expectations."
Wellington were on the attack from the first whistle and were left ruing several spurned opportunities.
Jeremy Brockie, in a one-on-one with keeper Vedran Janjetovic, blazed the ball over the crossbar in the opening half with Cunningham hitting the post and Vince Lia unlucky not to score with a header in the second half.
"If you don't take your chances you can be punished like that," coach Ernie Merrick said.
"I feel it's an extremely disappointing result but a very very good performance.
"We had enough chances to win that game, we've only got ourselves to blame."
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