City easy winners over Newcastle in A-League

SYDNEY (AP) — Melbourne City scored twice in the first 10 minutes to beat Newcastle 5-2 on Tuesday, kicking off a midweek holiday round of matches in the A-League.

City, affiliated with English Premier League club Manchester City, went ahead through Aaron Mooy's penalty in the fourth minute. Slovenia international Robert Koren then scored the first of his three goals in the ninth minute, and Damien Duff's goal in the 24th gave City a 3-0 halftime lead.

In the other match, defending champion Brisbane and Sydney FC played to a 0-0 draw. The result left Sydney in fifth place in the 10-team league and the Roar six points behind in seventh, with City in between in sixth.

On Wednesday, third-place Adelaide will play fourth-place Wellington while winless Asian champion Western Sydney hosts Central Coast on Thursday.

The match of the round is set for Friday when Melbourne Victory hosts first-place Perth. The Victory trails the Glory by four points after 12 matches.