A-League: Melbourne Victory 3 Wellington Phoenix 0

Wellington Phoenix’s chances of hosting a home A-League final are under threat after a 3-0 loss to Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on Friday.

Against a Victory side already out of the finals hunt and with nothing to play for, Phoenix – five points clear in the race for a home final – could not get a foothold in the game.

As if to taunt those who still believe Victory could match it with the league’s best, the home side took Phoenix apart, prevailing thanks a rocket from Carlos Hernandez, an Isaka Cernak tap-in and a first goal for James Jeggo.

In truth, the score should have been much more lopsided with Archie Thompson, who set up all three goals, somehow unable to put away any of the many chances which came his way.

But the veteran striker’s disappointment will pale in comparison to that of Ricki Herbert, who saw his team’s three-match unbeaten run ended in emphatic fashion.

Phoenix, who have not beaten Victory in Melbourne in eight attempts, could see both the Newcastle Jets and Melbourne Heart move within two points of them in fourth spot with one match, against Central Coast in Wellington, remaining.

Hernandez’s 25-yard rocket sparked the encounter into life on 11 minutes, while Cernak tapped in a Thompson cross just before the hour-mark.

Jeggo completed the rout with a stunning strike in the last minute of regulation time as Victory cruised to a comprehensive win in their last home game of the season.