Wellington have finished their A-League Men season but remain in limbo, unclear if their best-ever season has yielded a breakthrough trophy, or if they'll settle for second.
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Giancarlo Italiano's side won't play for a fortnight as they await Wednesday night's premiership-deciding catch-up match in Gosford.
The Phoenix finished with their best-ever haul of 53 points, with Central Coast - who have a game to play - on 52.
Italiano said the uncertainty that hung on the final whistle in their last-round win sat uneasily.
"It left a bit of a just a weird feeling. I don't know what it is," he said.
The chance to claim a first title in 17 years would have been best celebrated at Sky Stadium, with fans.
Instead, Central Coast's match with Adelaide United - rescheduled due to flight difficulties on a recent AFC Cup trip to Kyrgyzstan - will decide the Premiers Plate, with Mark Jackson's men needing just a point to claim it.
Italiano plans to spend Wednesday night at an assistant coach's house - as he has the biggest TV of any Phoenix staffer - and drink "a nice vino" gifted by his colleague's mum.
While Adelaide have been boosted by the availability of Nestory Irankunda, Italiano isn't holding out much hope of a Reds win.
"It's whether Mariners have the discipline to finish the season with a win and I don't see any sort of evidence that suggests that they're not going to win.
"Once we conceded late to them a couple of weeks ago, I felt pretty much that was the title."
As second-placed finishers, the Nix are entitled to a week off and to host the second leg of their semi-final, which will be on Saturday May 18 at Sky Stadium from 4.30pm (AEST).
Central Coast also have a week off but will use it travelling to Oman for the AFC Cup final, where they'll play Lebanon's Al-Ahed FC.
Wellington's opponents will be the lowest-ranked qualifier from this weekend's elimination finals, which feature Sydney FC (fourth) against Macarthur FC (fifth), and Melbourne Victory (third) or Melbourne City (sixth).
Kosta Barbarouses said the fortnight between games was helpful.
"We've got an extra week now to fix a few things. We won't know who we're playing obviously till the weekend, and then we'll focus on that on the Monday or Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the club will gather for their annual awards night, with unheralded rookie pair of Alex Paulsen and Finn Surman among contenders for player of the year, along with steady hands Barbarouses and Alex Rufer.
Given that late night, Italiano said he didn't really want his players backing up to watch a 9.30pm (NZT) kickoff on Wednesday and ruin a night's training.
Club chief executive David Dome announced on Monday the coach had softened his stance.
"The players will no doubt stay up for it ... Chiefy the coach will give them a night off," he said.
Italiano also plans to head to Australia for the elimination finals this weekend to scout their semi-final opponents, when Dome said the club would target a 30,000-strong crowd to will the Nix to a debut grand final.
Australian Associated Press
