Emily Gielnik has scored a hat-trick to lead Melbourne Victory to a 4-1 A-League Women win over Adelaide United and remind Matildas selectors of her qualities.
The 31-year-old has delivered seven goals for the season, including six and two assists in her past four games, to send Victory fourth on the table.
Victory's dominant win sets up a blockbuster next Sunday with rivals Melbourne City, who beat Newcastle 2-0 courtesy of a Hannah Wilkinson double.
City snapped their five-game winless run to return to second place.
In Adelaide on Sunday night, after the game was pushed back a day due to heat, Gielnik opened the scoring with a wonderful header from Paige Zois's lovely corner in the eighth minute.
Rachel Lowe slipped through Gielnik in the 32nd minute and she curled a superb strike home to double Victory's lead.
Gielnik appeared to be offside but to Adelaide’s dismay, the goal stood.
Courtney Newbon brilliantly denied Emily Condon on the hour mark and seven minutes later, Gielnik's third arrived in sensational fashion.
The excellent Alex Chidiac threaded an incredible ball through Adelaide's lines to Lia Privitelli in acres of space on the right, and the winger crossed for Gielnik to tap home.
Adelaide skipper Isabel Hodgson turned home a lovely goal on the spin in the 72nd minute.
But Victory captain Kayla Morrison headed home a Zois corner 10 minutes later to put the result beyond doubt.
It was Victory's 13th goal in three games.
Dario Vidosic's City were under serious pressure and on a five-game winless run heading into Sunday's game, but Bryleeh Henry twice teed up Wilkinson to snare three points.
The win lifts City (34 points) ahead of Sydney (33, with a game in hand) and just behind Western United (35).
In oppressive heat at Casey Fields, a game already rescheduled from 4pm to 5pm was delayed to 5.30pm, then 6pm, with two drinks breaks per half.
It was City who handled the conditions better and they appeared to have taken the lead in the 35th minute 16-year-old Keira Meyers, but the goal was flagged offside.
City took the lead in the 50th minute.
Newcastle's Sophie Hoban was unable to properly clear a Leah Davidson long ball on the right wing and it spilled to Henry.
The 20-year-old burst down the right and squared to an open Wilkinson, who took a touch then fired home.
Six minutes later, an almost identical play caught the Jets out again.
This time, Henry ran onto a Davidson long ball on the right and Wilkinson slid in to bury the winger's well-placed cross at the far post.
The Jets sit sixth and next play leaders Western United.
