MELTON Phoenix put an end to a five-game winless streak with a six-goal splurge against Moreland Wolves on Saturday.
Teenager Carlos Velasquez netted four times in the rout, which keeps Melton on the fringe of the promotion race in FFV provisional league 3 north west.
Velasquez scored two first-half goals to put Melton in control, but a penalty for Moreland on the stroke of half-time put the Phoenix on notice.
Refocused after the break, Velasquez rounded out his hat-trick before his fourth, and a goal to Michael Kapiris meant Moreland’s second at 2-5 was little more than consolation. Chris Briggs then kept his scoring run going by netting a sixth.
Melton remained fifth on the table with 20points, nine off the promotion pace of Darebin United in second and Heidelberg Stars on the same tally in first.
“After five weeks without a win this was a weight off their shoulders,” Melton coach Danny Gnjidic said. “Carlos has shown he’s a clinical finisher and a true goalscorer, but he’s only 16.
“He had a break-out game against Williamstown in the Knockout Cup coming off the bench and scoring a double, but he hasn’t been able to replicate that form since the league commenced.
“Through necessity he got his chance to start in this game and he took it.”
Melton is away at Meadow Park Eagles (seventh, 14 points) this weekend.
Melton’s women pushed runaway ladder leader Melbourne Knights close on Friday in women’s state league 3 north-west but ultimately fell to a 1-0 defeat. The 12-from-12 Knights lead the table by 14 points, while Melton sits sixth with 14 points total.
