Wellington Phoenix eased to a 4-1 win over Melbourne Victory to hand the A-League's bottom club a ninth defeat in 12 matches this season.

A fourth consecutive loss for Grant Brebner's side looked on the cards from the moment Tomer Hemed scored a majestic 11th-minute opener for the hosts.

Reno Piscopo produced a dazzling piece of control to bring a high clearance under his spell, launching a blistering counter-attack where skipper Ulises Davila laid on Hemed to finish.

David Ball was the beneficiary of a 36th-minute goalmouth scramble before the picture-perfect goals returned as Davila curled home from outside the box after the hour.

Clayton Lewis got his first A-League goal as Victory again showed their vulnerability on the break, rendering Elvis Kamsoba's dinked finish to be scant consolation.

In Wednesday's later game, Perth Glory and Sydney FC played out an entertaining 1-1 draw.

Bobo swivelled to volley home a fine equaliser in the 63rd minute for Sydney after Bruno Fornaroli enjoyed a tap-in at the back post shortly before half-time.

Sydney remain sixth, four points above Wellington in eighth.

Perth are down in 10th but their 14-point haul is double that managed by lowly Victory.

Adelaide United and Sydney FC each boosted their play-off hopes with respective victories over two of the A-League's strugglers on Saturday. 

Though they fell behind to Jake Brimmer's stunning long-range free-kick, which cannoned in off the crossbar, Adelaide fought back to go second with a 3-1 win against Melbourne Victory. 

Captain Stefan Mauk lashed home the equaliser before Kusini Yengi tapped in Craig Goodwin's cross at the end of a well-worked move. 

Mauk stole into the box to make sure of the points 13 minutes from time, converting from Yengi's ball in. 

As for Sydney, they were 2-1 winners over Newcastle Jets. 

Sydney also fell behind in the first half as Luka Prso scored his first A-League goal after a dreadful error from goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne. 

But Milos Ninkovic levelled matters and Alex Wilkinson headed home his first A-League goal in over a decade 11 minutes from time. 

Saturday's results leave Sydney fourth, a point behind Adelaide.

Melbourne City enjoyed one of their finest A-League wins on Saturday as they destroyed Melbourne Victory 6-0 in the derby.

A run of four defeats in five home games in the top flight ensured Victory were certainly the underdogs coming into the contest, but the one-sided nature of this loss will pile further pressure on head coach Grant Brebner.

City were looking to win back-to-back games against Victory for the first time in A-League history, but a dominant start faltered when Jamie Maclaren missed a penalty after 18 minutes.

Victory held out until nine minutes before the break, when Maclaren steered home following a Nuno Reis corner.

Two goals in four minutes after the break from Florin Berenguer and Rostyn Griffiths put the visitors in charge, and it got worse for Victory in the final quarter of an hour.

Connor Metcalfe struck twice in three minutes, blasting in off the post before tapping in a Maclaren cut-back, before Stefan Colakovski's precise low strike with effectively the last kick of the game triggered boos from the home fans.

Victory ended the match, the 2,000th in the competition's history, without even a shot on target as they stay rooted to the bottom of the table. City are into fourth.

In the earlier game, Sydney FC recovered to draw 1-1 with Brisbane Roar at Moreton Daily Stadium.

Substitute Bobo scored his first goal of the season for the Sky Blues 71 minutes in after Dylan Wenzel-Halls had put Brisbane ahead.

They remain three points ahead of Sydney in the table, with the reigning champions eighth after winning just three of their opening nine games.

Victor Sanchez scored a late winner as Western United came out on top in a seven-goal thriller with Melbourne Victory, while Adelaide United held off Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday. 

Marvel Stadium was the stage for an A-League drama in the late kick-off, with Western United rallying from 1-0 down to lead 3-1 – only to then have a man sent off as Melbourne fought back to draw level.

Callum McManaman opened the scoring for the home team but Sanchez's first of the contest, plus a brace from Besart Berisha, put Western United in command. 

However, they were reduced to 10 men when Tomislav Uskok saw yellow for a second time. Jacob Butterfield closed the gap just after the hour mark and Rudy Gestede made it 3-3 in the 82nd minute, heading in a cross from Dalibor Markovic. 

Melbourne at that stage appeared favourites to get a winner, yet Sanchez was the hero when his left-footed shot found the net deep into added time.

Western United have now won four of the five meetings with Victory and are the only opponents in the competition's history to be unbeaten against them.  

Earlier on, Adelaide put an end to a three-game losing streak against Western Sydney, Craig Goodwin – who has rejoined the club on loan from Al-Wehda – opening the scoring inside two minutes before captain Stefan Mauk doubled the advantage just prior to half-time. 

Substitute Bruce Kamau pulled a goal for Western Sydney, but a first loss in eight league matches was confirmed when Mohamed Toure made it 3-1 in the 82nd minute. 

While Mitchell Duke struck late for the hosts, it turned out to be no more than a consolation effort.

The result sees Adelaide join their opponents on 13 points in the table, with Western Sydney missing out on the chance to move up to second place. 

Rudy Gestede struck a goal in each half as Melbourne Victory beat Wellington Phoenix 2-0 in a battle of the A-League's bottom two. 

Victory climbed off the foot of the table, leapfrogging their visitors courtesy of Gestede's double at AAMI Park. 

Jake Brimmer provided the ammunition for both as the hosts ended a three-game losing streak in a fixture that saw seven yellow cards. 

Grant Brebner's side took the lead deep into first-half stoppage time when former Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa forward Gestede met Brimmer's right-wing corner with a firm header. 

The same combination led to the hosts' second, Brimmer sending over a corner which Gestede nodded in after 49 minutes. 

Despite 18 attempts, Wellington could only hit the target once as their run without a win at this stadium was extended to 11 games.

 

 

 

Wellington Phoenix moved off the bottom of the A-League table after playing out a thrilling 2-2 draw with Western Sydney Wanderers on Sunday.

A three-goal blitz in eight second-half minutes saw the visitors come from behind to lead only to end up sharing the spoils at WIN Stadium.

Mirza Muratovic scored at the second attempt nine minutes in and Phoenix held the advantage until 19 minutes from time, when Kwame Yeboah headed in a Keanu Baccus cross.

Bruce Kamau turned in Daniel Wilmering's delivery just five minutes later only for Louis Fenton to head in a quick-fire equaliser.

The Wanderers stretched their unbeaten league run to seven games, their longest since a 10-match streak that ended in January 2016, but they missed out on the chance to go above Macarthur FC into third.

Phoenix are off the bottom, a point ahead of Melbourne Victory, who were beaten 1-0 at home by Newcastle Jets in Sunday's earlier game.

Grant Brebner's men were punished for a lack of precision in attack, with just one of their 13 shots hitting the target against a side who had lost four consecutive A-League games at AAMI Park by an aggregate score of 10-2.

Angus Thurgate struck the winner after 72 minutes as Newcastle made it four wins from their previous eight away matches to move into the top six.

Western Sydney Wanderers triumphed 2-0 over struggling Melbourne Victory on Wednesday to record their first home win of the A-League season.  

A tight contest was cracked open when Melbourne substitute Rudy Gestede caught Bernie Ibini with a high challenge inside the penalty area.  

Wanderers captain Graham Dorrans converted from the spot to put the hosts ahead in the 72nd minute, though they were made to wait for a second that would wrap up the victory.  

Ibini was involved again when it eventually arrived, carrying the ball from deep to set up substitute Kwame Yeboah to fire beyond Max Crocombe and secure his side all three points at Bankwest Stadium. 

The result lifts Western Sydney up to third in the standings, level on points with second place Brisbane Roar - who have played a game less - and three behind table-topping Central Coast Mariners. 

Melbourne, meanwhile, remain stuck at the bottom having won just once in six outings. Another failure to score on the road means they have managed only two away goals this term, the lowest number by any team in the competition.

Brisbane Roar moved back to the top of the A-League after thrashing Melbourne Victory 5-2 on Saturday at Dolphin Stadium.

Six of the seven goals came in a thrilling first half, with the visitors finding themselves 3-0 down inside 17 minutes.

Dylan Wenzel-Halls' fifth goal in four games got Brisbane away to a strong start before a fine strike from Scott McDonald and a close-range finish from Riku Danzaki came in the space of three minutes.

Luis Lawrie-Lattanzio seized a lifeline when he turned in Adama Traore's cross, but McDonald headed his second from a Corey Brown corner to make it 4-1.

Jake Brimmer reduced the deficit with a free-kick deep into first-half injury time, but Danzaki struck again four minutes after the restart as Roar went top, above Central Coast Mariners on goal difference.

In the later game at Campbelltown Stadium, Western Sydney Wanderers twice came from a goal down to secure a 2-2 draw with Macarthur.

Graham Dorrans cancelled out Aleksandar Jovanovic's opener and, after Aleksandar Susnjar had restored the hosts' lead, Simon Cox nodded in a second equaliser following a stunning scorpion-kick-style assist from Keanu Baccus.

The result keeps the Wanderers fourth, a point above Ante Milicic's side.

Dylan Wenzel-Halls scored a double to fire Brisbane Roar to the top of the A-League with a 3-1 home win over Adelaide United.

The striker, who now has four goals in as many matches, scored either side of Jay O'Shea finding the top corner with a spectacular strike.

Adelaide managed a late consolation from Nathan Konstandopoulos with what was their only shot on target.

Brisbane moved ahead of Central Coast Mariners on goal difference and have now won three of their first four matches this season.

Elsewhere, 18-year-old substitute Patrick Wood scored a double and inspired champions Sydney FC to a 3-0 away win over 10-man Macarthur.

Mark Milligan was sent off after 21 minutes for a bad foul on Trent Buhagiar.

Hosts Macarthur battled to keep it level until Wood struck midway through the second half, the players having had an extended half-time break due to poor weather.

The young striker scored with 66 minutes on the clock and Milos Ninkovic added another after a fine solo run before Wood put the icing on the cake with his second late on.

In Saturday's other game, Melbourne Victory claimed their first ever point against Western United in a 0-0 draw.

Jake Brimmer opened his A-League account with a late double against his former club as Melbourne Victory came from behind to beat Perth Glory 2-1 on Australia Day.

Ex-Perth midfielder Brimmer scored twice in the space of four minutes to give the Victory their first win of the campaign – his second coming from the penalty spot in the final minute of regulation time.

Robbie Kruse made his first start for the Victory in almost a year and he was denied a goal to mark the occasion by a brilliant save from Tando Velaphi, who started in place of Liam Reddy for Perth after they conceded eight goals in their first two games.

Velaphi kept out Brimmer either side of half-time and the Glory took advantage by moving in front when Bruno Fornaroli nodded Carlo Armiento's left-wing cross in at the back post just after the hour mark.

The Perth goalkeeper made six saves but was finally beaten when Brimmer rose highest to head Adama Traore's cross into the bottom-right corner.

After Josh Rawlins handled a corner inside the box, Brimmer swept the spot-kick past Velaphi as the Victory avoided defeat at AAMI Park after a club-record three-game losing streak at the venue in the A-League.

Calem Nieuwenhof and Luke Brattan scored superb long-range goals as defending A-League champions Sydney FC started their campaign with a 2-1 win over Wellington Phoenix.

A-League debutant Nieuwenhof slammed a brilliant strike into the top left-hand corner to put last season's premiers ahead in the 29th minute at WIN Stadium on Friday.

Mirza Muratovic – a close-season signing from Brisbane Roar – got off the mark for Wellington to level the scores on the stroke of half-time.

Another Sydney thunderbolt settled the contest, however, with Nieuwenhof's midfield partner Brattan picking out the top-right corner with a venomous free-kick.

Ulises Davila thought he had snatched a point for Wellington in stoppage time, only for his effort to have diverted in off Tomer Hemed, who was flagged offside.

In Friday's other game, Brisbane bounced back from their opening defeat to Melbourne City by overcoming Melbourne Victory 3-1.

Callum McManaman curled in a delightful finish on his debut to draw Melbourne level after Scott McDonald's opener, but Macaulay Gillesphey's header put Brisbane back ahead on the hour.

With Melbourne pushing for another equaliser – McManaman going close – Dylan Wenzel-Halls broke onto a long ball and, after twisting his way clear of his marker, slotted home to seal the points.

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