Wellington Pheonix were the big winners in week 6 of the Hyundai A-League after thrashing Perth. Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United all took maximum points in their encounters.

Wellington Phoenix pushed into the A-League top four and turned up the heat on bottom-placed Perth Glory with a 4-1 thumping at Westpac Stadium in Wellington.

The Phoenix fought back from a goal down early to shred a 10-man Glory side, leaving the one-time Australian soccer powerhouse winless and two points adrift at the foot of the A-League ladder.

First-half goals to Wellington skipper Ross Aloisi and Shane Smeltz and second-half efforts from Vaughan Coveny and Tony Lochhead more than cancelled out Billy Celeski's 10th minute strike for Perth.

The turning point of the match came when Glory defender Dino Djulbic was sent off in the 54th minute for a second yellow card after pulling the shirt of Phoenix midfielder Daniel.

Two minutes later, the Phoenix finished off any hope of a Perth fightback when veteran striker Coveny was on the end of a sweeping move to put the New Zealanders 3-1 up.

Then it was party-time for the A-League newboys, who toyed with the Glory from that point on.

They eventually netted a deserved fourth when defender Lochhead banged home from close range with seven minutes left.

Adelaide United put the brakes on runaway A-League leaders Central Coast on Sunday night, sending the Mariners slumping to their first defeat of the season.

United beat the Mariners 2-1 at Hindmarsh Stadium, with Olyroos striker Bruce Djite netting both goals as Central Coast were reduced to 10 men following the second half send-off of defender Tony Vidmar.

But the Mariners remain on top of the A-League, four points clear of second-placed Newcastle who were defeated 1-0 by Sydney FC in Sydney on Saturday night.

Sydney FC's revival has continued at Newcastle's expense, with the Hyundai A-League glamour club seeing off the Jets 1-0 at the SFS on Saturday night.

A well-taken Alex Brosque goal - his second of the campaign - in the 36th minute was enough to quell a committed but under-strength Jets outfit before 13,755 fans.

Melbourne Victory has secured its first win of the 2007/08 Hyundai A-League season, with a Kevin Muscat penalty and a late Archie Thompson special giving the champions a 2-0 success over Queensland Roar at Telstra Dome.

The Victory had managed five draws before this match and a record-equalling sixth was on the cards before Leandro Love earned a penalty which the Victory skipper converted on 67 minutes. The Brazilian also had a hand in the second, lobbing the Roar defenders for Thompson squeeze the ball past an unlucky Liam Reddy on 85 minutes.

Sportal