After a cagey opening half-hour, Rostyn Griffiths was charged with a trip on Roly Bonevacia and Oriol Riera converted the spot-kick, the emotive Spaniard clearly relieved to be back on the scoreboard after a disappointing season.

If the opener was slightly fortuitous, the clincher was anything but. Raul Llorente, a similarly underperforming Spaniard, crafted the goal through a canny interception, blasting up the pitch, dropping the shoulder then knocking a delightful ball through to Mitch Duke, who finished with aplomb. 

"I'm just loving life again, loving football and the boys are doing so well," Duke said.

"The boys always take it out on me, about my stretching, saying I'm really flexible so I thought 'Why not, if I score again I'm going to show it off.'

"I've been ready (for Socceroos) for the last four years while I've been in Japan, whatever happens, happens."

Oriol Riera then doubled his tally and emphasised the Wanderers win by latching onto a Alex Baumjohann ball to make it 3-0.

The win moves Western Sydney Wanderers within three points of Newcastle Jets in seventh, while Melbourne City, if they make it, will limp into finals with one win in their last five.