Wellington Phoenix moved into second in the A-League after a 3-1 win over Melbourne Heart on Sunday, while Perth Glory’s form run continued.
Brisbane Roar’s loss to the Newcastle Jets on Saturday opened the way for the Phoenix to move behind the Central Coast Mariners, and they took full advantage in front of a season-high crowd at Westpac Stadium of 13,601.
In a hard-fought and entertaining contest the teams were locked 1-1 at half-time after Paul Ifill’s opener was cancelled out by Alex Terra.
But a Chris Greenacre header early in the second half took the wind out of the Heart’s sails and Ifill landed the killer blow in the 64th minute when he completed his brace.
Elsewhere, Perth Glory continued their excellent mid-season form, extending their unbeaten run to seven matches with a 3-0 win over Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium.
A clinical first-half finish from Shane Smeltz and a Steven McGarry tap-in helped Ian Ferguson’s men to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Midfielder Liam Miller sealed the win with his first goal in Glory colours eight minutes from the end.
The win lifts Glory above Melbourne Heart and into fourth on the A-League table, just two points adrift of the second-placed Phoenix.
