Auckland coach Steve Corica insists the A-League Men newcomers won't be getting ahead of themselves despite claiming three straight wins and local derby bragging rights in a perfect start to their first season.
Jake Brimmer scored a dramatic late brace to deliver a 2-0 win in a fiery and entertaining first clash with Wellington on Saturday.
"To be honest, I was a little bit nervous before this game, and I haven't been nervous, even in the game against Sydney last week," Corica said.
"It means a lot to the fans. A lot of them turned up here today as well from Auckland. It's good for them to have bragging rights as well over the Wellington fans. That's what it's all about.
"Boys showed passion, commitment to the cause and they were great.
"We just need to keep continuing, just make sure we don't get too carried away, because it's quite early in the season.
"I can't ask for any more from them. In three games, nine points, three clean sheets and scoring some good goals as well."
Auckland next have the bye before the international break.
"We need to work hard in this little break here," Corica said.
"Because if you take your foot off the pedal now, it's hard to come back."
The crowd of 26,252 was a record regular-season turnout for the Phoenix.
Wellington were left to rue Hideki Ishige missing from point-blank range in the 59th minute, before Brimmer struck twice.
As a stalemate loomed, Josh Oluwayemi hit an attempted pass straight into Brimmer in the 89th minute.
The former Melbourne Victory star and 2021/22 Johnny Warren Medallist pounced.
Brimmer, 26, took a touch then chipped the ball over the Wellington goalkeeper, much to the delight of the travelling Auckland fans.
"We gave them the three points. That's the way I look at it. Can't convince me otherwise," Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano said.
"For large parts of that game, we had a lot of opportunity to score when we decided to get on the front foot, and we were brave, we actually looked quite good.
"But again, we just didn't capitalise on those moments, and that's a poor goal to concede."
Seven minutes after the opener, Luis Toomey beat Ishige down the left then squared it across goal for Brimmer to score.
Italiano was determined to stick to his guns in urging his goalkeepers to play out from the back.
"I just have to double down and show the benefit of doing that," he said.
"What we proved last year, it works quite well. It's effective. It's a common trend worldwide in football, and that's just the way I like to play.
"I'm not going to change it. In actual fact there was enough chances today to show why we need to do it."
Wellington next face Central Coast away next Sunday.
