A-League wrap: Phoenix earn finals berth

Wellington Phoenix are through to the A-League finals series after beating North Queensland Fury 3-1 on Sunday.

Needing just a point from the last match of the regular season to secure the sixth and final play-offs spot ahead of Newcastle Jets, the Phoenix did it with relative ease against a team that has not won a match since mid-December.

They will now travel to South Australia to play Adelaide United onFriday.

Chris Greenacre got the opener in the seventh minute and Dylan Macallister doubled the lead four minutes later.

But it was the penalty by goalkeeper Danny Vukovic – in his final home game for the Phoenix – that got the biggest cheer from the 12,718 crowd in the 93rd minute to seal the win in dramatic fashion.

Brett Studman’s goal in the 66th minute had given the Fury some hope of a comeback.

But when he pulled back substitute Mirjan Pavlovic in the box in the dying stages of the match he went from hero to villain as referee Peter O’Leary had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and showing Studman a straight red card.

Vukovic also left no one in doubt he wanted to take the spot kick.

“I went straight over to (coach) Ricki (Herbert). I’m not sure what he said but I didn’t really care what he was going to say to be fair,” said the keeper with a grin.

“I knew it was the last kick of the game and there’s probably no more perfect way for a goalkeeper to score a goal than with the last kick of the game.”

“There were probably four or five boys putting their hand up. But once they saw me up there they were happy to give it to me.”

Meanwhile, a last-gasp goal from attacking midfielder Patricio Perez gave the Central Coast Mariners a 1-0 win over Newcastle.

Perez was in the right spot to tap home from close range for his sixth goal of the season after a great run and cross from defender Josh Rose in the 90th minute.

In the first half Perez had a host of great chances to open the scoring but failed to hit the target.

The Mariners now take on Brisbane in the first leg of the major semi-final at Gosford on Saturday, but will have to be more decisive in front of goal to challenge the premiership favourites.