Aloisi brace sets up Sydney for big Victory tilt

Printer Friendly

Share

Text Size

SYDNEY, Feb 7, 2010 (AFP) - Former Socceroo World Cup striker John Aloisi netted a match-winning double on Sunday to set Sydney FC up for a top-of-the-table A-League showdown with Melbourne Victory next weekend.

Aloisi's 87th-minute winner gave Sydney a 3-2 home result over Perth Glory to head into the final round within two points of leaders Melbourne.

Sydney's hopes looked to be dashed after striker Daniel McBreen had equalised at 2-2 for Perth in the 79th-minute.

But Aloisi, who scored in the 49th minute, steered a header home from Swiss defender Stephan Keller's cross to give Sydney all the points.

Melbourne are favourites to go into this month's playoffs as the top-placed team with a 2-0 win over North Queensland at home on Friday.

Two brilliant individual goals from Costa Rican playmaker Carlos Hernandez -- one in each half -- sealed the result and ended Robbie Fowler's team's slim finals hopes.

Gold Coast United lost second spot after a 1-0 home loss to the determined Wellington Phoenix on Sunday.

Coach Miron Bleiberg pursued referee Matthew Breeze down the tunnel at half-time after Breeze penalised Dutchman Bas van den Brink's challenge on Tim Brown and pointed to the spot during halftime stoppage time.

Barbadian international Paul Ifill converted for his 10th goal of the season, which proved the winner and lifted Phoenix into fourth place.

Adelaide United ended Brisbane Roar's finals hopes with an emphatic 2-0 win at Hindmarsh Stadium on Saturday.

Midfielders Fabian Barbiero and Lucas Pantelis netted the goals in the seventh and 51st minutes respectively that delivered only Adelaide's second win in their past nine games.

Adelaide's fourth home win of the season kept alive their chances of avoiding the A-League wooden spoon.

Torrential rain washed out the Central Coast Mariners-Newcastle Jets local derby on Saturday and it will now be played on Monday.