Melbourne Victory overcome red card and penalty to defeat lowly Adelaide United 3-0 AFTER two successive defeats Melbourne Victory secured a much-needed 3-0 win over Adelaide United on Saturday night in yet another drama-packed clash between the pair. Victory overcame a first half Adrian Leijer red card to secure its third win of the season via Kosta Barbarouses, Archie Thompson and Mitch Nichols goals and importantly stay in touch with the top two. Barbarouses and Mark Milligan, who both returned from international duty, were instrumental in the win in front of 20,064 at Etihad Stadium. While Victory created a bundle of chances it could have been a different story had Nathan Coe not blocked Cirio's 67th minute penalty when it was still 1-0. Adelaide post match press conference The save inspired Victory, who went down the other end and doubled its lead within a minute when Leigh Broxham pick-pocketed Adelaide's Michael Zullo and Barbarouses crossed for Nichols who glanced it to Thompson to finish. Adelaide coach Josep Gombau then threw on Awer Mabil and Bruce Djite and sacrificed a defender, but the risk backfired as midfielder Isaias miss-timed his header allowing Nichols to pounce and beat the onrushing Eugene Galekovic to score into an empty net. Questions will now be asked of Adelaide, who've drawn two and lost four since the convincing Round 1 win at home to Perth Glory. With former coach Ange Postecoglou watching from the stands, Victory opened the scoring on 14 minutes when James Troisi beat the offside trap and broke down the left before crossing for Barbarouses who was left with a simple tap in. Steven Lustica, who came on after 13 minutes for Cassio (hamstring), had a golden chance to equalise when he was released by Cirio but his went narrowly wide. Thompson then had two chances to double Victory's lead, going just wide from Barbarouses' cross after a textbook move before having his volley swatted away by Reds keeper Galekovic. Mitch Nichols then had a chance from three metres, albeit a tight angle, but sent his shot skywards. The final minutes of the first half then descended into farce after Leijer was sent off for a second yellow card for bringing down Cirio and he couldn't have any complaints for that or the first when he cleaned up Marcelo Carrusca. But a three-minute delay ensued as Victory tried to readjust _ sub Nick Ansell came on but with no-one coming off it appeared as though Victory would again have 11 players. Melbourne Victory post match press conference Referee Ben Williams sent him back and he returned, coming on for Troisi but earning a yellow card for his premature entrance. Despite the circumstances Troisi meanwhile didn't take kindly to being withdrawn in the first half and was headed straight for the tunnel before Kevin Muscat instructed him to return to the bench. The fourth official was having a nightmare, inserting the wrong digits into his board for Adelaide's double second half sub. And Williams' decision to award a penalty to Adelaide after Jeronimo fell would've been brought into sharper focus had Cirio converted, as Pablo Contreras appeared to make little or no contact. But Muscat breathed a sigh of relief and recorded his second win since replacing Postecoglou. Victory midfielder James Troisi rescued Victory's bacon last time the teams met, in what was a pulsating contest.