A-League wrap: Melbourne taste more Victory, Fury left fuming

Melbourne Victory posted a last-gasp 2-1 win over the Newcastle Jets on Monday to move into fifth spot in the A-League.

Substitute Ricardinho proved the hero, with his 90th minute tap-in from Robbie Kruse’s cross sparking jubilant scenes as the crowd of 16,378 at AAMI Park celebrated a crucial three points.

The win stretches Victory’s unbeaten run to six matches and was their third consecutive triumph, moving them two points clear of sixth-placed Melbourne Heart with two games in hand.

Victory took the lead after 20 minutes with a brilliant strike from Costa Rican star Carlos Hernandez, but Newcastle equalised nine minutes after half-time thanks to a spectacular 25-yard effort from Ruben Zadkovich.

Victory travel to play Central Coast Mariners on Friday, while Newcastle host the struggling Sydney FC on Monday.

Elsewhere, North Queensland Fury squandered another lead, this time against Wellington Phoenix, to finish 1-1 at a rain-sodden Dairy Farmers Stadium.

The Fury were left infuriated after thinking they had scored a winner in the 90th minute following a scramble in the box, but officials ruled the ball had not crossed the line.

Chris Payne opened the scoring in the 12th minute after a through ball from David Williams allowed him to race a third of the field unmarked and slot the ball past Danny Vukovic.

Dylan Macallister levelled the scores in the 76th minute after Nick Ward found the striker with a low cross for a simple tap-in.

The point lifted North Queensland off the bottom of the A-League, and leaves Sydney FC anchored to the foot of the table, while the Phoenix moved into seventh place, just a point behind the Melbourne Heart.

The Fury travel south to do battle with the Heart on Sunday at AAMI Park, while Wellington host Melbourne Victory next Tuesday.