They spent last season steadily gaining support in the Illawarra, and midfielder Clayton Lewis hopes to continue that momentum when the Phoenix return to WIN Stadium on Saturday.
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Wellington temporarily called Wollongong home during their 2020/21 campaign due to travel restrictions between Australia and New Zealand. Last month, the club confirmed they would head back to NSW, setting up a base in Chatswood but playing home games at WIN Stadium.
The Phoenix kicked off their A-Leagues campaign with a 1-1 draw with Macarthur on Sunday. Now, they will turn their attention to their next clash in Wollongong with the Mariners.
"It's our home away from home, so to be able to come back to Wollongong is a good feeling. We had a good group of fans towards the end of last season, and I look forward to hearing that saxophone going again," Lewis, 24, said.
"At the start of the season, it was tough when we didn't really have many fans supporting us. But towards the end, we felt like we had that extra man pushing us on. So those fans down in Wollongong definitely helped, and I'm looking forward to being back down there."
Getting off to a good start is crucial for Wellington, who opened their 2020/21 account with two losses and a draw. The side also went winless in their first six matches the previous season.
The Phoenix started on the right foot on Sunday, with Gary Hooper's first-half penalty firing them to a 1-0 lead at the break in Newcastle. However, a stunning goal from Lachlan Rose in the 61st minute drew Macarthur level, with the teams forced to share the points.
Standing in Wellington's way in round two is Central Coast, who kicked off their account with a 2-1 victory over rivals the Jets.
"They're a tough side and they have a lot of quality. If you watched the game on Sunday, I think they played well against Newcastle. And in pre-season when we played them, it was another tough game," Lewis said.
"The main thing for us is we focus on what we want to do with the ball, and without the ball too. If we can focus on what we can do, hopefully that will bring us a good performance and the result."
Lewis's teammate Reno Piscopo is also gearing up for his second season predominately based in Australia. Piscopo arrived at the club ahead of their 2019/20 and has played more than 30 games in an injury-plagued stint in the yellow and black.
But the 23-year-old admitted it had been difficult for the Phoenix players to be away from New Zealand.
"It hasn't been easy for everyone, for the staff or the club, always having to relocate, so credit to everyone for doing that. Leaving their families behind hasn't been easy," Piscopo said.
"But I think this year, we're more prepared than last season. We just take things game by game, we try our best to stick to the structure and hope to get the result, and it's been working for us."
It's our home away from home, so to be able to come back to Wollongong is a good feeling.
- - Clayton Lewis
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Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
