Victory thrash Phoenix to stay in finals hunt
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Goal scorer... Nick Ward celebrates scoring the second for the Victory. (Getty Images: Mark Dadswell)
Finals football is still a faint possibility for the Melbourne Victory, thanks to their 3-0 win over the Wellington Phoenix in their round 20 A-League clash at Docklands Stadium on Friday evening.
A cracking strike from substitute Kaz Patafta in the dying minutes topped off first-half goals from Carlos Hernandez and Nick Ward to secure the comfortable win for the home side.
The win keeps Melbourne (26 points) in touch with the top four, although fourth-placed Newcastle (28) are yet to play their round 20 fixture.
The Victory enjoyed the ascendancy throughout the game, and the hosts were almost in front in the ninth minute but for some desperate defending that stopped Matthew Kemp running onto an Archie Thompson cut-back.
Ward almost opened the account in 19th minute when Thompson provided a centimetre-perfect pass but his shot flew agonisingly wide of the goal-mouth.
A Melbourne goal looked inevitable and the dead-lock was broken when Hernandez took advantage of a slick pass from Ward and slammed a low shot past Glen Moss on the half-hour mark.
Four minutes later last year's champions took control of the match when Ward turned from provider to receiver, running onto an Adrian Caceres pass and making no mistake with the finish.
Wellington had a good chance in the 77th minute when a Steven O'dor shot was denied by the woodwork.
Melbourne sealed an emphatic win in the 89th minute when Patafta followed up Thompson's rebounded shot and unleashed a searing shot from an acute angle.
