Jamie Maclaren is set to head to the World Cup in scintillating form after scoring a brace to lead Melbourne City to a 4-0 A-League Men win over Perth Glory.
League leaders City dominated from the outset but struggled to connect up forward until their prolific marksman scored in the 49th minute.
Maclaren, expected to be named in the Socceroos' World Cup squad on Tuesday, added a second from the penalty spot in the 75th.
World Cup aspirant Marco Tilio was eyecatching throughout and threw down his marker for Socceroos selection with a lovely goal in the 82nd minute, while Mathew Leckie scored in the 95th.
The win was soured in the 76th minute when defender Nuno Reis was knocked out by a clearance from teammate Tom Glover.
The City goalkeeper rushed out to clear the ball but hoofed it straight into his teammate's head, with Reis hitting the AAMI Park surface.
He was out cold and was taken off on a stretcher, though the central defender was moving and speaking with medical staff.
Perth suffered a blow before the opening whistle when midfielder Aaron McEneff was a late withdrawal, replaced by Luke Bodnar.
City should have led in the 17th minute when Perth goalkeeper Liam Reddy passed straight to Tilio but the young gun fresh aired his shot.
In the 35th minute, Tilio dispossessed Zach Duncan but couldn't cleanly find Maclaren, while the striker blasted over the bar just before half-time
City finally broke through four minutes into the second half when Valon Berisha pounced on a turnover and fired the ball towards Tilio.
The winger took a loose touch but the ball fell to Maclaren, who coolly buried the opener.
City received a handball penalty via VAR review in the 72nd minute after the ball flicked the hand of Perth's Mitch Oxborrow.
Maclaren coolly smashed home the spot-kick for his seventh goal of the season.
Seven minutes later, Tilio danced along the edge of the box then coolly skidded a shot into the bottom corner.
In the dying minutes, Richard van der Venne's deflected shot hit the post and rebounded into the path of Leckie, who buried City's fourth.
