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A-League: 2009 - 2010 Season
'Fascinating February Finale In Store In A-League'
A weekend of close results in the Hyundai A-League has set up a fascinating February finale
for the 2009-10 season, with three teams battling out the title, and the other realistic
play-off contenders still in with a chance of earning home ground advantage in the
play-offs.
Melbourne Victory gave themselves a significant boost in their quest for the minor
premiership on Tuesday evening as they thrashed Wellington Phoenix 4-0 in front of 18,819
fans at Etihad Stadium.
The visitors were fortunate that the reigning champions' margin of victory
wasn't greater, because Melbourne certainly stamped their mark on proceedings with a
stylish display which was ignited when Wellington's Tim Brown, in attempting to head
a free-kick from Carlos Hernandez to safety, succeeded only in diverting it into his own
net.
Archie Thompson doubled the home team's advantage five minutes after half-time, and
once Hernandez had scored half-way through the second half, the game was over a contest.
Substitute Matthew Kemp administered the coup de grace three minutes before full-time.
That result fired Melbourne back to the top of the table, and they remained there despite
being beaten 1-0 by Gold Coast United in a bad-tempered affair watched by 7,249 fans at
Skilled Park on Friday evening.
Zenon Caravella's cracking strike fourteen minutes from time separated the teams on
the scoreboard, but there was no love lost on the pitch as the title rivals fought out -
almost literally at times - a tempestuous affair which came at the end of a week in which
half the A-League's teams had received fines for misconduct incidents.
The judiciary panel will have a fair bit to say about this match, given some of the
goings-on, none of which, incredibly, were punished by the red card of referee Chris Beath,
who, by hook or by crook, managed to keep all twenty-two players on the park for the
duration.
The result saw Gold Coast draw level with Melbourne at the top of the table, and the pair
remain two points clear of Sydney FC, who squandered the chance to leap-frog their rivals
and return to the top rung on the ladder when stung 1-0 by Brisbane Roar in front of 8,613
fans at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday evening.
The home team, in what was their final scheduled home game this season, found themselves on
the back foot for much of it as Sydney pounded away in search of goals, but young goalkeeper
Matt Ham was defiant between the sticks for the home team, producing a string of saves to
keep the title-chasers at bay.
His opposite number, Clint Bolton, was fortunate to stay on the park following a first half
incident in which he appeared to handle the ball outside his penalty area, but justice was
served in the 88th minute, as Sergio Van Dijk found the net from the tightest of angles to
the undisguised joy of Brisbane's fans, whose hopes of seeing their team in this
season's play-offs remain alive.
Adelaide United no longer harbour any hopes - not even mathematical ones - of making the top
six after Wellington finally ousted them from contention in front of a massive 19,279-strong
crowd at Christchurch's AMI Stadium.
The biggest crowd to watch a competitive professional football fixture in New Zealand saw a
spectacle which generally disappointed, although the natives went home happy thanks to Jon
McKain's close-range effort half-way through the first half, which secured a 1-0 win
for Wellington and almost certain involvement in the play-offs.
The win allowed the Wellingtonians to leapfrog Newcastle Jets, whose encounter with North
Queensland Fury at Dairy Farmers Stadium was postponed by three days due to the side-effects
of Cyclone Olga, which has put more than just the wind up the natives in and around
Australia's northern region.
Which meant that there was interest aplenty in Perth Glory's clash with the Central
Coast Mariners at ME Bank Stadium on Sunday evening, where a win would secure a play-off
spot for the home team.
They wasted little time in setting about achieving it, Daniel McBreen opening the scoring
inside two minutes and effectively concluding the contest with a second goal before the
quarter hour mark had passed, much to the delight of the 8,160 fans present.
Andrija Jukic virtually sealed the deal for Perth on the stroke of half-time, and while Adam
Kwasnik pulled a goal back for the Mariners soon after the interval, their fate was sealed -
this 3-1 defeat ended the play-offs hopes of the team with, ironically, the league's
most miserly defence, and propelled Perth into fourth spot on the table, with a genuine
chance of overhauling third-placed Sydney in the remaining rounds.
Tuesday evening's encounter between North Queensland and Newcastle will be the first
of two games in three days for the home team, who head to Melbourne's Etihad Stadium
on Friday night.
Saturday's fare sees Central Coast and Newcastle locking horns in a New South Wales
derby at Bluetongue Stadium, while Adelaide and Brisbane do battle at Hindmarsh Stadium in
what is a must-win affair for the visitors. And on Sunday, Sydney host Perth at Parramatta
Stadium on a day Gold Coast welcomes Wellington to Skilled Park.
Details: Hyundai A-League, Round 19 (last one):
Melbourne Victory FC 4 (oggie 16'), Archie Thompson (50'), Carlos Hernandez (65'), MatthewKemp (87') - Wellington Phoenix FC 0; HT 1-0
Details: Hyundai A-League, Round 25:
Brisbane Roar FC 1 (Sergio van Dijk (88')) - Sydney FC 0; HT 0-0
Details: National Youth-League, Round 22:
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