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Brockie leaves A-League with dream double

Getty

Getty

Jeremy Brockie scored twice in his Wellington Phoenix farewell, as the home side moved to second on the A-League ladder with a 3-0 victory over defending champions Brisbane Roar.

In his last game before heading to South Africa and Pretoria-based SuperSport United, Brockie bagged his first goal of the season with a 51st-minute penalty, then let fly with a right-footed pile-driver in the 66th minute.

The goals brought his A-League tally to 39, with 23 coming in the past three seasons for Wellington, and was the perfect way to finish his career with the Phoenix.

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“The ideal scenario would have been to get the three points first and then knock one in the back of the net to top it off,” Brockie said afterwards.

Designated penalty-taker Roly Bonevacia had no problem handing the spot-kick over to Brockie, although the 27-year-old striker admits there wasn’t too much discussion involved.

“I just grabbed the ball, there was not much conversation. He’d been practising them during the week but he asked me if I wanted it and I wasn’t going to say ‘no’.

“What a way to finish my career at the Phoenix.”

Manny Muscat had earlier galvanised the boisterous 10,267-strong crowd after barely four minutes with just his third goal in 155 games for the Phoenix.

Michael McGlinchey made the initial break, then Muscat chased down a sure first touch to calmly slot the ball past keeper Jamie Young.

The Phoenix dominated possession, restricting Brisbane to the occasional foray on the counterattack, but the Roar was still in touch at 0-1 at halftime.

Brockie’s penalty five minutes after the restart was topped off with his 66th-minute strike, and Brisbane lacked the fight to mount any sort of comeback.

Interim coach Frans Thijssen said the Phoenix deserved their victory, although he was disappointed with the penalty decision, given after referee Stephen Lucas consulted his linesman.

More disappointing, he added, was Brisbane’s capitulation when the pressure mounted.

“You can give a goal away but you have to fight back, and that fighting back I didn’t see.

“Some players put their heads down, and that’s not good,” Thijssen said.

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Mitchell Duke in action for Central Coast Mariners. Photo: Getty

The win moves the Phoenix clear into second place on the ladder on 28 points, four shy of leaders Perth Glory while Brisbane remain mired in seventh.

Meanwhile, a first-half double from Mitch Duke earned the Central Coast Mariners an upset 2-0 win over Melbourne City in Gosford.

The 23-year-old struck in the 12th and 27th minutes before being substituted on the hour mark when he was clattered into by City goalkeeper Tando Velaphi, who earned himself a red card for the foul.

The much-needed win was the Mariners’ first in 13 A-League fixtures and brought to an end City’s run of recent fine form in which they had collected 10 points from four games.

-AAP

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