A three-goal burst in seven minutes powered Melbourne Victory back to the top of the A-League and heaped the pressure on nearest rivals Adelaide United as the minor premiership race was blown wide open on Friday night.
Victory’s 3-0 win over Central Coast Mariners at Telstra Dome lifted them a point clear of Adelaide, who have the chance to snatch back the lead when they play Wellington away on Sunday.
But with one round remaining after this weekend, the Victory uncorked an irresistible second half which will make Adelaide want nothing less than a win over the Phoenix to ensure a less nervous final week of the regular season.
Danny Allsopp, Carlos Hernandez and Archie Thompson all netted for the Victory, who needed all three points to stay alive in the race for top spot going into the finals.
The three goals came in a seven-minute spell from the 68th minute – Allsopp and Thompson each serving up an assist for the other for their goals in a vintage Victory performance.
First Thompson turned the Mariners’ defence inside out, then delivered a pinpoint low cross to the far post for Allsopp to tap in to break the deadlock.
Then the game lit up, with substitute Hernandez fouled on the edge of the box three minutes later before stepping up to power in a low free-kick for Melbourne’s second.
Victory put the match beyond Central Coast’s reach in the 75th minute, when Thompson latched on to an Allsopp header and neatly flicked home past keeper Danny Vukovic.
The Mariners’ bad night was compounded when defender Dean Heffernan was sent off late in the match for what appeared an elbow to the head of Victory skipper Kevin Muscat.
As well as heating up the race for top spot, the Mariners’ defeat leaves them vulnerable to the two teams attempting to bump them out of a finals spot – Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC.
While the Phoenix have Adelaide to contend with, Sydney FC play third-placed Queensland on Saturday and can keep their slim finals hopes alive with maximum points.
Victory coach Ernie Merrick was thrilled his side did what they needed to put Adelaide under pressure in the battle for top spot.
“We knew the first half would be a real scrap … in the second half we started getting a lot more control in midfield, getting the ball to Dan and Archie,” Merrick said.
“It’s ideal for us. All we can do is win these two games to give ourselves the double chance.”
Central Coast coach Lawrie McKinna lamented his side’s inability to take their chances – most notably a poor miss from leading scorer Matt Simon when he skied a shot from six metres out in the second half, before Melbourne’s spree.
“Seven minutes killed us. We missed a few good chances, and they’ve caught us,” McKinna said.
“From there, we never had a chance to regroup and have a go at them.
“In a seven-minute period, the game was gone.”
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Central Coast Mariners are premiers of A-League Men for the first time in 12 years after defeating Adelaide in the season finale.
Central Coast sit second behind Wellington, and a victory over Adelaide will see them finish the regular season on top of the ladder.
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