A-League wrap: Roar streak intact, Victory thump Fury

Brisbane Roar edged closer to setting an Australian domestic football record by stretching their unbeaten run to 22 games with a 2-0 win over Wellington Phoenix.

In the Roar’s first game in Brisbane since the floods that ravaged the city and their home ground Skilled Park, the league leaders struggled to come to terms with a stubborn Wellington side for long periods of the game but eventually sealed the points thanks to a late brace from youngster James Meyer.

The substitute launched a drive from the edge of the penalty area in the 83rd minute that caught a fortuitous deflection off Phoenix skipper Andrew Durante and wrong-footed goalkeeper Danny Vukovic as the ball trickled into the back of the net.

Just five minutes later he got lucky again when Thomas Broich’s shot collided with the crossbar and fell into the path of Meyer to fire home a second goal.

The victory equals A.P.I.A. Leichhardt’s run of 22 games without defeat that ended in 1987, with Saturday night’s match against Melbourne Heart at Robina doubling as the Roar’s opportunity to make history.

But until Meyer’s dramatic late double, it was looking like they would have to share the spoils with a Phoenix side that held Brisbane for most of the match despite Ange Postecoglou’s men holding the lion’s share of possession.

Meanwhile, Mate Dugandzic scored a double as Melbourne Victory thrashed North Queensland Fury 3-0.

Dugandzic netted with an easy header in the 69th minute and followed up with a lucky 73rd-minute goal.

Daniel Allsop opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a simple tap-in from a low cross from Tom Pondeljak.North Queensland started well but were outplayed as the game went on before Melbourne delivered the ultimate insult by deliberately playing with just 10 men.