After defending for almost the entirety of the second half, substitute Jaushua Sotirio broke a 1-1 deadlock with an 88^th minute goal that came against the run of play.

The strike left the Phoenix elated, the side climbing off the bottom of the ladder, while the Mariners will lament three points slipping through their fingers.

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While Wellington controlled much of the early exchanges, Central Coast dominated the second half.

Camped inside the attacking zone, Mariners strikers Matt Simon and Alou Kuol repeatedly peppered Wellington goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic.

The visitors grimly held firm, before the pair were replaced with 20 minutes to play in Gosford.

The decision by coach Alan Stajcic proved decisive. Central Coast continued to push forward, however their attack lacked punch without the starting strikers.

Replacement Jordan Smylie had a golden opportunity when he broke free in the box with three minutes to play, the attacker shut down by a brilliant defensive effort.

The game turned moments later, the Phoenix pushing forward before Sotirio put the ball in the back of the net to secure the win.

"It was a good ball in behind," Sotirio told Fox Sports. "Ufuk told me to come on, get in behind and the sixes will find me in behind. That's what I did, it was a great ball from (Alex) Ruffer and good to get the goal.

"I saw [the goalkeeper] coming towards me, I just tried to put it beside him and it was good that it went in."

Sotirio earned a start last week before returning to the bench on Sunday. Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay praised the striker for making an impact in his reduced role.

"In the second half, the thought process behind Jaushie coming on was Central Coast had a lot of ball and for me, you're most vulnerable when you do have the ball," Talay said.

"He's got a lot of pace to go in behind, we won the ball, Ruffer put the ball over the top and a great finish to Jaushie.

"You want your substitutes to come on and make an impact. Coming on and scoring a winner, he was very effective for us and most importantly we got the three points."

The match was played in wet conditions, driving rain falling throughout

Wellington had the wind at their back in the first half, the side looking to make use of it from the outset.

That attacking mindset soon led to opportunities, however the Mariners organised defence held firm.

Slowly the visitors started to break down their opponents' structure with Ulises Davila handing his side the lead with a brilliant strike in the 15^th minute.

The goal acted as a trigger for the Mariners, Central Coast generating a number of chances as they sought an equaliser.

While the hosts worked their way into the match, Wellington continued to push forward and a second looked imminent late in the first half.

Instead it was Central Coast who hit back, cult figure Kuol latching on to a corner to level the scores four minutes before the break.

The Mariners picked up where they left off after half-time, the side in complete control until Sotirio's unlikely winner broke the deadlock.