That was just one lowlight in an opening 45 minutes that left coach Ufuk Talay even more vocal than usual on the sidelines. Facing an opposition who came into the clash propping up the table, the Phoenix began with one of the worst 15-minute stretches of their season and showed only sporadic improvements from there.
Their careless start was littered with needless concessions of possession, misplacing pass after pass to put themselves under unnecessary pressure.
No player was immune and Brisbane soon made the most of their early ball to score an opener that, even in the eighth minute, had been coming.
They might have been unchanged from the dramatic win over Newcastle midweek but the Phoenix were playing like strangers, allowing Rahmat Akbari to ghost between defenders and head his side ahead.
The Roar, however, failed to generate many more clear shooting chances and the Phoenix eventually began to look capable of producing an equaliser.
David Ball and Jaushua Sotirio were linking well to unsettle the hosts' defence, creating an opening for an otherwise quiet Gael Sandoval fire barely over the bar.
Ball then headed Sam Sutton's cross well wide when he should have done better, while Ben Waine unleashed a blistering half volley that Jordan Holmes acrobatically turned behind.
But just when the Phoenix seemed to be growing into the game, they lost Rufer through a challenge that earned him the insult of a booking to add to his injury. That stunted the visitors' progress and, just before halftime, their defence was cut open and reliant on Sail to scramble clear.
The Phoenix were brighter in the second spell, enjoying more possession as the Roar looked to protect their slender lead, but still short of their best.
With Brisbane defending deeply, the fluent passing the Phoenix needed to unlock their opposition was slightly lacking, though they were at least gradually building pressure.
That pressure soon helped produce an equaliser as Lewis' free kick struck a post, Sotirio followed up to earn a corner and substitute Gary Hooper nodded the Phoenix level.
The parity didn't last long, however, as Sail saved one fierce drive but could do nothing about the next as Henry Hore fired the rebound past the goalkeeper.
That set up a frantic last 15 minutes as the Phoenix fought to prolong their unbeaten run and forged a few half chances, the best of which was bent wide by Hooper in stoppage time.
Brisbane Roar 2 (Rahmat Akbari 8, Henry Hore 76)
Wellington Phoenix 1 (Gary Hooper 72)
Halftime: 1-0
