Soccer: Crunch time for Phoenix

This melee was the biggest flashpoint of a spiteful match between the Phoenix and Perth Glory. Photo / Getty Images

There are defining moments in every season. The Wellington Phoenix have reached that point ahead of Tuesday's match at Melbourne. Win, and they are virtually guaranteed a place in the playoffs. Lose, and that equation becomes much more difficult.

Wellington have only four games of the regular season left but only one at their beloved Westpac Stadium, where they haven't lost in 16 matches. They play Adelaide, a team they have never beaten, in Christchurch on Saturday but also need to travel to leaders Gold Coast.

"It's crunch time for us," said midfielder Tim Brown. "It's a big one on Tuesday because we need something from it and, ideally, three points.

"But we are coming up against arguably the best team in the league, away from home and on short rest. It doesn't get any easier but they are the hurdles we have to overcome if we achieve what we want to. "As well as we have done in the last few weeks, it could all come to nothing if we let it slip at this stage."

They let one slip on Friday night. Wellington were poor in a 2-0 defeat at Perth.

They went into the match on the back of a club record-equalling three-game winning streak. But they barely fired a shot against a Glory side which overtook them on the table with this result. Wellington are now sixth, four points ahead of Central Coast in seventh.

They conceded two soft goals. Eugene Dadi, the toast of Wellington after scoring three goals in two matches, had his second-half penalty saved. Dadi was back in Perth for the first time since the Glory let him go three weeks ago. He produced a feeble penalty which looked more like a back pass to Perth keeper Tando Velaphi.

The match was also a spiteful affair, with six yellow cards brandished and plenty of claret spilt. Wellington midfielder Manny Muscat played on despite a nasty gash on his cheek, picked up when he was elbowed in the head.

Both Ricki Herbert and Wellington captain Andrew Durante were highly critical of the referee but Brown said they should look at other reasons why they lost.

"It would be quite easy to blame the referee and he made mistakes. But our performance wasn't where it needed to be and we have had some stern words from management after the game," he said. "If we had played to our potential, we would have been fine.

"I'm not sure why we didn't play well. Everyone was focused and we knew the magnitude of the game but, for whatever reason, they were better.

"They got the bounce of the ball and, crucially, scored the first goal. All in all, we got what we deserved."

Muscat should be fit to play Melbourne and his presence is needed after Vince Lia picked up his eighth yellow card of the season. He will miss two matches through suspension.

Brown said other players were "banged up" in the physical game but all 17 members of the squad taken on the two-game trip should be available.

Herbert was yesterday considering flying Tony Lochhead to Melbourne for the match. Lochhead missed the Perth game with a groin strain and was expected to be out until the end of the month but Herbert said his regular left back would be able to cope if called upon.

Striker Chris Greenacre will also come into consideration in Lia's absence, which could prompt a change in formation from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2.