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Melbourne Victory players Jake Brimmer and Bruno Fornaroli celebrate Brimmer’s second-half free-kick.
At AAMI Park, Melbourne: Melbourne Victory 3 (Bruno Fornali 32’, Jake Brimmer 54’, Tomi Juric 90+1’) Wellington Phoenix 1 (Oskar Zawada 13’) HT: 1-1
A stunning free-kick from reigning Johnny Warren medallist Jake Brimmer ended Wellington Phoenix’s four-game unbeaten run in the A-League Men.
The Phoenix slipped up against the bottom of the table Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on Friday, coughing up an early lead to lose 3-1 in the first of four consecutive away matches.
Polish striker Oskar Zawada got the Phoenix off to a dream start, scoring for the fifth game in a row to match Tomer Hemed’s club goal streak record with a controlled header in the 13th minute.
Zawada directed a looping header back across goal and over the top of a diving goalkeeper Matt Acton after outmuscling left-back Cadete and getting on the end of a lobbed ball from centre-back Josh Laws.
The Phoenix were without their first-choice centre-back pairing of Scott Wootton and Tim Payne, and their makeshift defensive unit was exposed by the league’s lowest scoring team.
With Wootton injured and Payne suspended, New Zealand under-20 captain Finn Surman was handed his first start of the season alongside Laws.
Socceroo Bruno Fornaroli drew Victory level in the 32nd minute after Brimmer delivered an early cross from the right and Surman was unable to get his head to it.
Oli Sail pulled off a massive save to keep out the initial attempt from Josh Brilliante, but Fornaroli managed to score on the rebound after the Phoenix defence retreated to the goal line, leaving him unmarked.
A special strike from Brimmer put the Victory in front in the 54th minute. The midfielder stepped over a free-kick and picked out the top right corner after Surman shouldered him off the ball, and conceded a foul in a dangerous area just outside the 18-yard box.
Ufuk Talay made a host of changes as the Phoenix tried to find a way back into the game but a bad mix up between Sail and Surman ended any hope of salvaging a result, substitute Tomi Juric securing a much-needed win for the Victory with a gift in stoppage time.
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