April 19, 2015 13:03:33 UK
Coach Kevin Muscat praised his Melbourne Victory side for securing a second win over Brisbane Roar in the space of four days and closing in on the A-League premiership.
Victory’s 1-0 win at Suncorp Stadium followed their 2-1 success at the same venue in midweek, meaning the only way they can be overtaken is if Sydney FC – who are three points behind them – overturn a seven-goal deficit in the final round.
Muscat, who is on the verge of his first silverware as a coach, saw his opposite number Frans Thijssen ring the changes for the second meeting.
With the Roar facing a vital Asian Champions League trip to Beijing Guoan on Tuesday, Thijssen made eight changes to his starting side and sent out a youthful team.
Muscat argued that the move made Brisbane a fresher team going into the second match.
“To put it into perspective as well we haven’t won here since 2009,” he said. “To come here in four days and beat two different teams, it gives us an indication of where we’re at.
“There was a lot at stake tonight against players a lot fresher than us and I thought we stood up to the challenge remarkably well.”
Muscat added: “The expectation from anyone that it was going to be easy to win against a young side would have been naïve; we knew it was going to be difficult. Having said that I thought we dominated the game and thoroughly deserved the three points.”
Victory will be without injured defender Jason Geria for their final round game at home to Central Coast Mariners next weekend.
Brisbane Roar are 17.00 to win the A-League this season with Victory 2.75 and Adelaide United 7.50.
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