There were five decisive results for #EraseRacism Round, which saw Roar tighten their grip on the Premiers’ Plate and Heart continue their remarkable winning run.
There were five decisive results for #EraseRacism Round, which saw Roar tighten their grip on the Premiers’ Plate and the Heart continue their remarkable winning run.
Adelaide United v Wellingon Phoenix
A stunning Jeronimo Neumann brace, including one of the finest goals in Hyundai A-League history, propelled Adelaide United to a rampant 5-1 annihilation of Wellington Phoenix at Coopers Stadium on Thursday night.
Jeronimo was joined in the goal fest in quick succession by last week’s hat-trick man Sergio Cirio in the first half and Fabio Ferreira in the second.
Kenny Cunningham got one back for the Phoenix when he rifled home a beauty before United substitute Awer Mabil responded with one final dagger at the death.
The thee points sees the Reds jump to third on goal difference at the end of Round 21, while the Phoenix after mounting a mid-season surge are teetering just outside the top six.
Brisbane Roar v Perth Glory
Brisbane Roar rediscovered their attacking prowess in the second term to overwhelm Perth Glory 3-1 at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
Ivan Franjic broke the deadlock in the 57th minute when he headed home a Thomas Broich free-kick, before goals from Liam Miller and Broich sealed the result for the Roar.
Shane Smeltz scored a late consolation for the Glory but the visiting side were no match for a rampant Brisbane for the majority of the second half.
The win extended Roar-s lead at the summit to seven points, while the Glory now sit outright last having not notched three points in their last seven clashes.
Central Coast Mariners v Sydney FC
Central Coast Mariners snapped their five-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over Sydney FC in a pulsating encounter at Bluetongue Stadium on Saturday night.
A sublime 26th-minute free-kick from recent addition Kim Seung-Yong for Central Coast was cancelled out by Richard Garcia’s second-half equaliser.
But Mitchell Duke’s third goal of the season, his first against the Sky Blues, saw the Mariners rebound from their mid-week loss to FC Seoul in the AFC Champions League.
Sydney, who have yet to win in Gosford since August 23, 2008, have now lost all three games to the Mariners this season with the result moving the Mariners to 30 points, leap-frogging their opponents.
Melbourne Heart v Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Heart’s incredible resurgence under John Van ‘t Schip hit new heights on Saturday night after they defeated bitter rivals Melbourne Victory 4-0 at AAMI Park.
Heart went into the third Melbourne Derby of the season on the back of a four-game winning streak and they showed no signs of slowing down after Orlando Engelaar put them ahead in the eighth minute, with Mate Dugandzic doubling their lead seven minutes later.
It was the Victory’s third game in eight days and their already tough task turned into a near impossible one just before half-time when centre-back Nick Ansell was controversially sent off after being adjudged to have denied David Williams a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
Late strikes from Williams and substitute Harry Kewell put the gloss on the win, with the Heart easing to one of the most memorable Melbourne Derby wins in their short history in the Hyundai A-League.
Western Sydney Wanderers v Newcastle Jets
The Newcastle Jets have dented Western Sydney’s Premiers’ Plate hopes – and breathed new life into their own season – after a shock 2-0 win at Pirtek Stadium on Sunday.
A goal in each half to Kew Jaliens and Adam Taggart were enough to see off a limp Wanderers outfit that looked jaded after their third match in a week.
The Jets came to attack and possessed speed in everything they did and this time added a finishing touch to their play to stun a crowd of just over 12,000.
It was just the club’s second win from their last 10 matches but has got the Jets back within two points of the top six with six games remaining.
The defeat for the Wanderers means Tony Popovic’s side remain seven points behind league-leaders Brisbane, who now appear certain to finish with the minor premiership.
