Reigning Hyundai A-League title-holders Melbourne Victory emphatically underlined their 2009-10 championship credentials on January 26, as they swept aside Wellington Phoenix 4-0 in front of 18,819 fans at Etihad Stadium. They returned to the top of the table with this win, and did so in style, putting the visitors under all sorts of pressure from the outset. Liam Reddy did well to save at the feet of Archie Thompson in the sixth minute, while five minutes later, Wellington's custodian made a fine double-save to thwart both Thompson and Adrian Leijer, as both sought to capitalise on the chaos caused by a crossbar-rattler from Roddy Vargas, as the defender met a sumptuous Carlos Hernandez free-kick from the left with his head. Only a timely Andrew Durante tackle thwarted Thompson a minute later, as Hernandez opened up the visitors' rearguard once again, while after Tim Brown had nicked the ball off Thompson on half-way and surged downfield before lashing a twenty-yarder inches past the far post, the Wellington midfielder got his name on the scoresheet, but at the wrong end of the park. Ben Sigmund had fouled Thompson - he was proving a real handful - on the left, and Hernandez whipped a wicked free-kick into the danger zone. Brown rose to head clear, but succeeded only in diverting the ball over Reddy and into the top far corner of the net. Melbourne's lead was thoroughly deserved, but after Paul Ifill and Robbie Kruse had exchanged shots on goal, the visitors enjoyed their best spell of the match, highlighted by a superb 21st minute effort from Ifill which saw him strip Grant Brebner of possession, power past Kevin Muscat and jink inside Leigh Bloxham before cracking a twenty-yarder which Mitchell Langerak smothered well low to his left. That was as close as Wellington came to getting back on level terms during this brief spell, however. For the home team weathered this brief storm and, led by Thompson and Hernandez, regained the ascendancy around the half-hour mark. A curling free-kick from the Costa Rican was punched off the head of his Australian team-mate by Reddy, who was right behind a 32nd minute shot from Thompson after Hernandez had got the better of Troy Hearfield on the right and promptly released the speedster with a raking fifty yard cross-field ball right into the striker's stride. Wellington looked to level matters seven minutes before half-time when Manny Muscat linked with Eugene Dadi, whose deft through ball found Brown arriving on cue on the edge of the penalty area. Only a fine fingertip save by Langerak prevented the teams from going to the break on level terms. The second half was barely five minutes old when the game was effectively killed off as a contest. Melbourne youngster Marvin Angulo caught Ifill in possession half-way inside his own half, swept into Wellington's half of the pitch and, from inside the centre circle, split the defence with a peach of a pass onto which Thompson dashed. One touch took him goal-side of the retreating Jon McKain, while his next despatched the ball with aplomb beyond the stranded figure of Reddy - 2-0, and you somehow sensed there would be no way back for Wellington, despite the copious firepower they boasted on both the pitch and the bench.

So it proved. The visitors dominated the corner count in the game, but they were outfoxed by a Melbourne rearguard in which Muscat and Vargas were peerless, and provided a platform on which the home team could spring counter-attacks galore. Such as that in the 61st minute, when Thompson dashed downfield and linked with Kruse, whose touch invited Angulo to let fly. He did so, but straight at Reddy, who was beaten all ends up four minutes later as Melbourne well and truly put the game beyond doubt. Possession was gifted to Thompson on half-way, and he instantly released Kruse at pace down the right. The youngster angled the ball across beyond the far post, where Hernandez was arriving on cue to steer the ball past Reddy into the corner of the net for goal number three. Brown looked to fire Wellington back into the match in the 68th minute when catching Angulo in possession and instantly despatching an effort which Langerak smothered well. The 'keeper promptly cleared the ball downfield, and only a last-gasp lunge from Durante prevented substitute Matthew Kemp from making it 4-0 seconds later, after he had been released by Hernandez. The resulting goal-kick sent Diego Walsh roaming downfield at pace, and the oft-unused Wellington midfielder scythed through a gaping hole in Melbourne's midfield before thundering a twenty-five yarder inches over the crossbar. After the game had rediscovered its shape after a string of substitutions by both teams disrupted its flow and the general pattern of play, Melbourne grabbed the bull by the horns and dominated the closing stages, but only after a warning shot across the bows from Wellington, Chris Greenacre seeing his effort blocked inside the penalty area after linking with Costa Barbarouses five minutes from time. The title-holders' response was to thunder downfield and do what Wellington hadn't done in the previous 87 minutes - score! A stray pass from McKain was pounced on by Kemp on half-way, and he raced downfield before working a slick one-two inside the visitors' penalty area with Nick Ward, whose delicious back-heeled return set up Kemp for one of the easiest goals he'll ever score - 4-0. There could have been more goals for the champions, with Reddy denying Angulo on two occasions in the final minutes, but they were well pleased to return to the top of the table with this impressive display, one which leaves them two points clear with three rounds to play. Wellington, meanwhile, require two wins from their final three matches to be absolutely certain of securing a maiden play-off spot. But the manner in which they were unhinged by the reigning champions suggests they are some way away from being genuine challengers for the Hyundai A-League championship trophy which Melbourne are clearly keen to retain. Melbourne:     Langerak; Leijer, K. Muscat, Vargas; Angulo, Pondeljak, Brebner, Bloxham (booked, 71); Kruse (Kemp, 67), Thompson (Berger, 75), Hernandez (Ward, 69) Wellington:     Reddy; Sigmund (Caceres, 64), Durante, McKain (booked, 34); Hearfield, Brown (booked, 29), Walsh, M. Muscat; Greenacre, Dadi (Bertos, 64), Ifill (Barbarouses, 72) Referee:     Chris Beath