Elsewhere, Melbourne City remain on top of the table after scrapping out a 0-0 draw with Melbourne Victory.
At Porirua Park, a wonderful free kick from Peta Trimis, where the 19-year-old curled a right-footed shot over the wall and beyond diving Phoenix goalkeeper Victoria Esson, put Central Coast in front in the 16th minute.
Twelve minutes later, Lucia Leon pinched the ball from Mariners goalkeeper Annalee Grove and teed up Makala Woods.
The American's shot was blocked but the ball spilled to new signing Mackenzie Anthony, who tapped home.
Then Avaani Prakash, 19, unleashed a brilliant through ball to tee up 21-year-old Tamar Levin to score the winner in first-half injury time in wet and windy conditions.
Central Coast (22 points) move up to fifth, leaving second-placed Wellington (24) to lament a missed opportunity to leapfrog leaders Melbourne City (27).
In Bundoora, Bryleeh Henry thought she'd toe-poked City - who were without skipper Rebekah Stott (thumb) - in front in the 44th minute but was ruled offside.
"We score the goal, which is clear onside," City coach Michael Matricciani said.
"Everyone makes mistakes, but it's always hard to take."
Victory coach Jeff Hopkins dismissed the suggestion, believing it was "definitely offside".
There is no VAR in ALW but Matricciani flagged the Football Video Support (FVS) sytem tested in the Australian Championship could be introduced for ALW finals.
It allows teams to request a limited number of reviews for major incidents such as goals, penalties and direct red cards.
Matricciani would have liked the system introduced at the start of the season.
"It's cost-efficient and okay, you don't have the perfect angles, but at least you can see a couple of different angles, and if it gives a bit more clarity, maybe more of those 50-50s are going to be a bit more correct," he said.
Hopkins wasn't a fan, citing the limited camera angles available at ALW grounds.
"If you're going to do something properly, then great, do it properly. Don't bring something in half-arsed, for want of a better word," Hopkins said.
The game marked Victory skipper Kayla Morrison's 100th ALW appearance while City's Leah Davidson reached the milestone when she came on as a second-half substitute.
City star Holly McNamara came close to breaking the deadlock when her shot from outside the box in the 83rd minute skimmed over the bar.
Two minutes later, McNamara skinned Morrison but was off-balance as she struck the ball straight to Courtney Newbon.
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