Monday, January 31, 2011

Melbourne Victory 2-0 Gold Coast United: Victory strengthen claims for a finals place


Photo: Danny Allsopp has scored five goals in four games [PlessPix]

Melbourne Victory 2-0 Gold Coast United

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Danny Allsopp scored once in each half to give Melbourne Victory a 2-0 win over Gold Coast United at AAMI Park on Sunday afternoon.

Allsopp made it four goals in four games when he netted in the 25th minute after Grant Brebner’s pass.

Eleven minutes after the break, Allsopp turned John Curtis on the right of the box and cut inside before curling a great shot inside the far corner of the net to make it 2-0. It was his fifth goal in four games.

Joel Porter might have ensured a draw late in the match, but his first effort was brilliantly saved by Michael Petkovic, while his second - a header following a corner - was cleared off the line by Brebner.

The match was played in 38 degrees heat and drink breaks had to be taken.

Gold Coast, who were already without Shane Smeltz and Jason Culina, suffered a further blow after just 5 minutes when Bas Van Den Brink went off with a knee inury.

The result leaves Melbourne Victory in fifth place, two points adrift of fourth-ranked Gold Coast United.

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Melbourne Victory: Petkovic - Ferreira, Vargas, Leijer, Kemp (Foschini 73) - Franjic, Brebner, Pondeljak, Dugandzic (Ricardinho 87) - Hernandez (Angulo 46), Allsopp (Sub not used: Mattei)

Booked: Vargas, Pondeljak

Goals: Allsopp 25, 56

Gold Coast United: Moss - Djulbic, Thwaite, Curtis, Anderson - Van Den Brink, Traore, Mebrahtu, Kim - Perchtold, Djite

Att: 8,287

Ref: P Green

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