Football: Wellington Phoenix looking to rebound - again - in search of crucial result at Eden Park

Young Phoenix players like Ben Waine (left) and Ben Old have been given plenty of minutes. Photo / Photosport

The Wellington Phoenix will attempt to perform another rebound act on Sunday at Eden Park.

It's been an unpredictable season, with Covid dramas, weather incidents, untimely injuries and an often chaotic schedule, with more midweek fixtures than any other time in the club's history.

That – and an extremely green squad – has contributed to some rollercoaster results.

At times they have been superb, evidenced by the seven-match unbeaten run to start 2022, but those moments have been accompanied by some stinging defeats.

Last Sunday's 4-0 defeat to the Central Coast Mariners in the capital was the sixth time this season they have shipped four goals or more, with heavy defeats to Newcastle (twice), Central Coast (twice), Adelaide and Melbourne City.

While that has been tough, the Phoenix have shown a happy knack of bouncing back, often almost immediately, allowing them to be in strong playoff contenders with four games to play.

"The manager plays a huge part, he does a great job in getting us focused for the next game," said defender Scott Wootton.

"It also shows great character within the group - we don't get too down by defeats. We will always keep our head on the bigger picture, we are not dwelling or worrying about what has gone on.

"We have to put those things right and learn from it but we are not losing too much sleep over it."

It's been remarkable considering the youthful squad, with Wootton admitting he has never experienced such a demographic makeup across his long career in England.

"In most teams, most of your players are 23-30, then you have a couple younger, a couple older," said Wootton.

Ben Old is part of the emerging generation. He made one appearance off the bench last season – with a 10-minute cameo in Wellington – but has already taken the field 19 times this year.

"I never expected to get this many minutes," admitted the 19-year-old. "I wanted to score a few more goals and get assists but I am trying not to put too much pressure on myself."

Like Wootton, Old says refocusing after a big defeat hasn't been hard, after similar experiences with the Phoenix reserves.

"We had a pretty young team so I learnt a lot from those games," said Old. "It's nice to win, but if we lose there is a lot to learn off it."

The Aucklander caught up with family earlier this week, including a game of golf at Takapuna with his brother on a rare day off. Golf has become a popular pastime among the team, when time allows, with Gary Hooper, Old and Oli Sail among the most proficient.

"It's a great outlet," said Old, who plays off a three handicap, with Hooper off two.

Old struggled to contain his excitement about playing in his hometown – "It was amazing in Wellington [but] I can't wait for this game" – but admits a positive result against the 10th-placed Western Sydney Wanderers (3.05pm) is paramount on their finals quest.

"It's very important to win this one," said Old. "We don't want to be going into the last three games having to pick up a couple of wins."