Western Sydney have won four straight A-League games for the first time in two seasons with coach Tony Popovic warning influential striker Mark Bridge is set to hit peak form.

The Wanderers dispatched Wellington 2-1 in a free-flowing and entertaining encounter at Pirtek Stadium on Saturday, Bridge slotting the late winner and setting up Federico Piovaccari’s earlier effort to eliminate Manny Muscat’s first-half equaliser for the Phoenix.

“That’s just his second start this year after a long (groin) injury in the pre-season,” Popovic said of Bridge, who also scored in his first start last week against Melbourne City.

“We expect him to only get better.”

“To win a really tough game – that wasn’t easy out there. I don’t think we were at our best but overall I think we deserved the win and it was good to get it late on.”

Piovaccari, the man who could not manage a single goal in his first five A-League matches, made it two from two games and appeared to finally show some form.

In front of 14,426 home fans, the Italian marquee was mostly in position when it mattered.

He was there when in-form playmaker Mitch Nichols sprinted through, switched out wide and crossed into the box, though slicing it high.

And he was there when the Wanderers showed their counter-attacking class.

Kiwi international Michael McGlinchey pinged a fantastic free-kick that would have found the top corner had goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne not made a valiant leap and got fingers to it.

The ricochet fell to Nichols, who offloaded to Bridge to dart unchallenged down the park and cross for Piovaccari to poke home.

“It’s because his fitness has improved, that’s the big difference,” Popovic said.

“Today you can see he’s getting more powerful … he was up against two very good defenders but he looked dangerous a lot more often.”

The night would have belonged to Scott Jamieson, had his right-footed screamer not been disallowed due to a Piovaccari foul.

Moments later Muscat belted in Wellington’s equaliser with a fabulous finish that sailed across the face of goal and tucked inside Redmayne’s back post.

There were moments when the Phoenix hung on by the skin of their teeth, no more so than when the Wanderers had four clear first-half chances inside five minutes.

“We weren’t playing very good football,” Wellington coach Ernie Merrick said.

“We normally control the midfield pretty well. I don’t think we could hit a pass tonight. We had three strikers up front and we couldn’t get Jeffrey (Sarpong) in the game.”

Early in the second half Louis Fenton replaced Ben Sigmund after the defender worryingly collapsed off the ball, the Phoenix confirming he has been unwell all week with a virus.

Goals threatened at each end throughout the second half, especially so for the Phoenix when substitute Alex Rufer’s half-volley hit the post.

But the moment came for the Wanderers in the 85th minute, when Bridge found space on the edge of the six-yard box to seal the game.

In the late game, Sydney FC and Perth Glory played out a 0-0 draw at nib Stadium in Perth.

– AAP