Macarthur FC concluded their 2025/26 Isuzu UTE A-League Men season on a high note, dominating Wellington Phoenix with a 4-0 victory at Campbelltown Stadium, providing ample reasons to celebrate on Friday night.
This emphatic win was merely the beginning of the festivities, as the Campbelltown crowd paid tribute to Damien De Silva’s illustrious career while witnessing spectacular displays on the field. Luke Brattan’s brilliant strike and the exceptional teamwork between brothers Henrique and Bernardo capped off the season in grand fashion.
Within just over half an hour, Macarthur had inflicted considerable damage, showing relentless intensity right from the first whistle. They seized the lead within five minutes, applying pressure through a series of set pieces that Wellington struggled to withstand. Bill Tuiloma inadvertently contributed to the scoreline, deflecting Matt Jurman’s volley into his own net.
With his sights set on securing a spot in the North American squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Mitch Duke played a pivotal role and nearly added his name to the scoresheet as Macarthur extended their lead. After executing a clever dummy, Duke sped into the box but was unable to find the net from Luke Vickery’s exquisite cross, which instead fell to Dean Bosnjak, who made no mistake from close range.
Ifeanyi Eze almost levelled up with Sam Cosgrove in the race for the golden boot, but he and his Wellington teammates were continually overshadowed as Brattan unleashed a stunning effort just after the half-hour mark, sending the ball curving into the top left corner from distance.
Chris Greenacre made a couple of changes at half-time, bringing on Ramy Najjarine and Luke Brooke-Smith in search of a spark. However, even these substitutions couldn’t propel the Phoenix back into the contest, as Macarthur cruised to a comfortable final-day win in front of their home support. Wellington’s closest opportunity came when Sarpreet Singh’s free-kick rattled the crossbar.
With ten minutes remaining, Macarthur seized another special moment as substitutes Henrique and Bernardo teamed up. Henrique Oliveira, with his very first touch, set up Bernardo for a deflected shot that looped into the net.
The night turned sentimental a few moments later when Harry Politidis made his long-awaited return from injury as De Silva exited the field, marking the end of a commendable 20-year career. The Frenchman, a two-time Melbourne Victory Player of the Year and a former member of the PFA Team of the Season, bows out after 63 appearances and five goals in the A-League.
As the night concluded beautifully on home turf, Macarthur coach Mile Sterjovski could be forgiven for contemplating what might have been, as his side juggled a challenging streak of form in 2026—this marking just their fifth win out of 16 league matches since the beginning of the year—which sadly saw them miss out on a finals berth.
Despite the letdown of this match result and its implications, Wellington can take solace in their strong finish to the season, registering four victories in their final six matches after Chris Greenacre took over as interim coach following Giancarlo Italiano’s resignation.
As both teams regroup and shift focus to the upcoming 2026/27 season, they can each take valuable lessons from this campaign and hold lofty aspirations for the future.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT THEY SAID
Macarthur FC attacker Bernardo.
Wellington Phoenix midfielder Paulo Retre.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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