sports
Roar, Wanderers back at the top of A-League
Western Sydney Wanderers beat Newcastle Jets 1-0 to join Brisbane Roar at the top of Australia's A-League today.
The 2014 Asian Champions League winners needed a 17th-minute goal by Jaushua Sotirio to take the three competition points but had to survive some late pressure from the Jets.
Jamie Maclaren netted a hat-trick to spearhead Brisbane to a 5-0 hammering of faltering defending champions Melbourne Victory at home yesterday.
Maclaren, who was overlooked last week by national coach Ange Postecoglou for the Socceroos' two World Cup home qualifiers this month, took his season goal tally to 17, three behind the A-League's leading scorer Uruguayan Bruno Fornaroli.
The loss left Kevin Muscat's Victory on the fringe of the play-off spots in sixth place.
Third-placed Adelaide United lost their unbeaten 14-game run after a 1-0 defeat at home to Melbourne City on Friday.
Nick Fitzgerald scored the winner in the 71st minute to move Melbourne City to within three points of the joint leaders.
Perth Glory pounded the hapless Central Coast Mariners 4-0 in Perth yesterday to leapfrog Sydney FC into fifth spot.
Glory have now won seven of their last eight matches and are one of the form teams of the competition.
Bottom team Central Coast finished the game with nine men after losing Spanish star Luis Garcia and Mitchell Austin to red cards, among eight bookings.
Spain's Diego Castro and Irishman Andy Keogh converted penalties, among Glory's goals.
Sydney FC slumped yesterday to an embarrassing 3-1 home loss to Wellington Phoenix, stretching the Sky Blues' winless run to eight games and putting last season's beaten finalists in danger of missing the play-offs. – AFP, March 13, 2016.
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