Rd 20: Melbourne vs. Wellington

Melbourne Victory 3, Wellington Phoenix 0[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEbrtc8U6Fo[/youtube]

Well, I got my wish.

Melbourne turned out to win their third in a row, and they did. In style.

Of the three doubtfuls, Danny Allsopp was the only one to miss out. Nick Ward and Kevin Muscat both had great games, with the former scoring his first goal for the Victory. Adrian Caceres again stated his case for first team selection; as did Carlos Hernández, with his fourth goal of the season.

And then there was Kaz Patafta. Adrian Caceres came off in the 73rd minute; the crowd roared with respect for both Caceres and Patafta, his replacement; and Caceres emphatically encouraged Kaz to get out there and keep the momentum rolling.

Which young Patafta did. A superb goal from a tight angle.

The pressure is on Newcastle now, as they prepare to play the Central Coast Mariners tonight. The Mariners have been in relatively poor form recently, but let’s hope they deliver a better performance tonight. They need it as much as we do.