Two late goals could not prevent defeat for Melbourne Victory away to Western United in Round 19 of the 2026 VPL season.
The Boys in Blue scored twice during the closing stages at Ironbark Fields on Sunday afternoon as they attempted to wipe out the home team’s three-goal advantage, built courtesy of a Mark Leonard hat-trick.
He opened the scoring 10 minutes short of half-time in Tarneit, and the striker would complete his treble when striking either side of the hour mark.
This lead would, though, only give Western a narrow margin of victory come the final whistle, with Victory mounting a late comeback.
Anthony Suleman pulled one back after 83 minutes, and when this was added to by an injury-time penalty from leading scorer Mikey Ghossaini, a frantic finish ensued. But despite a late attacking siege, the visitors were denied a share of the spoils.
Match details are available by clicking here.
Speaking to MelbourneVictory.com.au, Senior Academy Head Coach, Besart Berisha, explained what cost his team on the road over the weekend.
“The result was very disappointing for us. Not because Western United were the better team, but because we didn’t play the football that has defined us all season.
“From the first whistle until the last, we never reached the level we expect from ourselves.”
