Sunday’s only A-League Round 23 match is between Melbourne Heart and Wellington Phoenix. The opening kick-off is set to commence at 4.00pm (AEDT) with the game to be played at AAMI Park. The home team Melbourne Heart are the favourites for the match. View our live scores and teams for the game between Melbourne Heart and Wellington Phoenix.

Round: Round 23, Sunday, March 16 at 4.00pm (AEDT).
Stadium: AAMI Park
Head to head: Played: 11 – Heart 3, Phoenix 5, Drawn 3
Previous encounter: Phoenix 0-5 Heart, February 16 2014

Odds Comparison:

Melbourne Heart	1.80	1.77	1.75	1.77	1.80	1.73
Draw	3.70	3.65	3.60	3.65	3.70	3.60
Wellington Phoenix	4.00	4.50	4.30	4.50	4.00	4.33

All odds are subject to change. Odds listed are correct at the time of the latest update.

Preview:

The last match of round 23 is between the Heart and the Phoenix, kicking off on Sunday at 4.00pm at AAMI Stadium.  With both teams sitting near the bottom of the ladder in ninth and eighth spot respectively, neither team can lose here if they are serious about making the finals.  The Heart’s five game winning streak came to an end last week against Newcastle, and with only five games remaining in the season, they really need to win here to keep their finals hopes alive.

While the Phoenix are in a better position only three points off the top six, Ernie Merrick’s men were held to a draw by the struggling Perth last week and are likely to struggle again this weekend.  Most of the money will be on the Heart to take the points for this one, and with David Williams in top goal scoring form, the Wellington Phoenix will have to keep it tight at the back if they want a chance.

Teams:

Melbourne Heart FC squad:
1.Andrew REDMAYNE (GK), 3.Robbie WIELAERT, 4.Orlando ENGELAAR, 6.Patrick GERHARDT, 7.Iain RAMSAY, 8.Massimo MURDOCCA, 10.Harry KEWELL (C), 13.Jonatan GERMANO, 15.David WILLIAMS, 16.Aziz BEHICH, 17.Jason HOFFMAN, 18.David VRANKOVIC, 19.Benjamin GARRUCIO, 20.Tando VELAPHI (GK), 21.Stefan MAUK, 22.Nicholas KALMAR, 23.Mate DUGANDZIC, 24.Patrick KISNORBO
**Two to be omitted**
Ins: 18.David VRANKOVIC (promoted), 21.Stefan MAUK (promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: Nil

Wellington Phoenix squad:
1.Glen MOSS (GK), 2.Manny MUSCAT, 5.Michael BOXALL, 9.Kenny CUNNINGHAM, 10.Stein HUYSEGEMS, 11.Jeremy BROCKIE, 12.Tyler BOYD, 15.Jason HICKS, 17.Vince LIA, 18.Ben SIGMUND, 19.Hamish WATSON, 20.Lewis ITALIANO (GK), 21.Carlos HERNANDEZ, 22.Andrew DURANTE (c), 23.Matthew RIDENTON, 24.Roy KRISHNA, 25.Shaun TIMMINS.
**One to be omitted**
Ins: 2.Manny MUSCAT (returns from suspension), 19.Hamish WATSON (promoted)
Outs: 6.Josh BRINDELL-SOUTH (ankle injury).
Unavailable: 3.Reece CAIRA (fractured cheekbone 6-8 weeks), 7.Leo BERTOS (groin injury (2 to 3 weeks), 8.Paul IFILL (ruptured Achilles, season), 13.Albert RIERA (groin injury season),16.Louis FENTON (shoulder injury, season).

News:

Mike Mulvey says the Roar are well-placed heading into the business end of the Hyundai A-League season, but refused to declare the race for the Premiers Plate over.

Brisbane opened up a 10-point gap at the top of the standings with the 2-1 win over Adelaide United at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, with just five regular season rounds remaining.

A pair of Besart Berisha goals did the job for the Roar, who almost kept a clean sheet but for a late Jeronimo Neumann screamer.

Berisha’s strikes came either side of a controversial moment at the end of the first half, when a long-range effort from Thomas Broich hit the crossbar and bounced over the line, but was not awarded as a goal by the officials.

Mulvey would not be drawn on the whether the premiership was sewn up for the Roar, joking that they were now confident of a top six finish, but he did point out that the team were travelling well with the finals looming.

‘It’s all hands on deck for every team,’ he said.

‘Yes, we’ve got a bit of a lead, we accept that situation gladly.

‘We’ve worked damned hard for it. We’ve really, since I think June the third, have rolled out sleeves up, come in and set this opportunity up for ourselves, and as I said to the lads today, there’s a door open now, are we going to step through it?

‘And I think we really stepped through it today.’

On the disappointment of Brisbane being denied a goal for Broich’s brilliant effort, Mulvey said it was time for the Football Federation Australia to consider using goal-line technology.

‘That technology exists and we should see if we could get it here,’ he said.

‘Maybe it’s a little bit pricey but things like that are things of beauty – a strike from 30m and it’s 2-0, it changes the game.

‘I can be quite calm about it because we’ve won the game but there’s going to be a time, an instance, where it will cost a coach a game or a place in the finals and its not right in today’s day and age.’