Jynaya Dos Santos has scored her first A-League Women goal to help Sydney FC snap their winless run with a 1-0 victory over Wellington.
Having waited on the fringes since round one of last season, Dos Santos came off the bench and made the most of her second appearance for the club by finding the back of the net with a brilliant header in the 78th minute on Friday.
"Funny enough, when I spoke to the bench I was like 'I think Jyn is going to score today. Let's get her in early'," Sydney coach Ante Juric said.
"Often the young player comes in and something special happens."
The Sky Blues had been edging towards ascendancy, with Matildas star Cortnee Vine outsmarting goalkeeper Brianna Edwards to run into an empty goal just a minute earlier.
Under siege by defender Michaela Foster, Vine was pushed to the right and missed her shot.
The win marks their first victory after two consecutive draws and what Juric hopes will be the start of a more consistent run of form.
Vine had been their only goal scorer in December, with two to her name before Dos Santos set the pitch alight.
The hosts controlled the opening period and should have drawn first blood, and more, if it had not been for their inaccuracy.
Out of 19 first-half shots, only seven were on target.
Vine sent one wide in the seventh minute before star midfielder Mackenzie Hawesby announced her return with relentless attempts at goal, but was similarly dogged by a lack of precision.
The 23-year-old three-time premiership winner rejoined Sydney after making one appearance for Women’s Super League club Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Sky Blues had their best chance at opening their account when Kirsty Fenton pulled off a brilliant cutback to Aideen Keane in the box after receiving the ball on the left from skipper Princess Ibini.
Keane was almost certain to lob Edwards in the 26th minute, but she was denied on the line thanks to the quick reflexes of Foster.
Ibini took matters into her own hands just five minutes later with a brilliant individual run capped by a thundering shot outside the box that went over.
Macey Fraser led the Wellington attack in the first half, but tame shots made for easy collections by goalkeeper Jada Whyman.
American striker Isabel Cox went close to levelling just two minutes after Dos Santos scored, but Whyman proved to be unconquerable.
"Where we're at as a team at the moment in our evolution is we're just still a little unsure with belief in ourselves," Phoenix coach Paul Temple said.
"At halftime, we just said we have to believe in what we're doing and we have to be brave enough, and we did just that.
"We want to be in the playoffs come the end of the season and when we have to play these big games away at big teams, we have to be ready to win those games."
