Keisuke Honda scored his fifth goal of the season as reigning champions Melbourne Victory moved to top spot in Australia's A-League with a 4-2 win over 10-man Brisbane Roar on Friday.

Honda struck from the penalty spot in the 40th minute at Brisbane's Lang Park, sending Roar keeper Jamie Young in the wrong direction with a shot to the bottom left corner.

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The visitors earned the penalty when Brisbane defender Daniel Bowles was whistled for a handball inside the area.

With the goal, Honda made amends for having conceded a penalty that led to a Brisbane goal in the 27th minute. In a goalmouth scramble, Honda tripped Roar striker Adam Taggart, who subsequently leveled the scores 1-1 from the spot.

Honda helped Victory extend the lead to 4-2 in first-half stoppage time by winning, then taking, the corner kick that led to Kosta Barbarouses' second goal.


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Barbarouses had opened the scoring for Victory in the 13th minute. Swedish forward Ola Toivonen put the visitors up 2-1 in the 32nd minute, but conceded an own goal 10 minutes later to draw Brisbane level at 2-2.

Brisbane went a man down in the 21st minute after midfielder Eric Bautheac received his marching orders for a second yellow card.

[Getty/Kyodo]

Victory climbed one point clear at the top of the A-League table with the win, their sixth in a row, while Honda moved into joint second in the race for the Golden Boot award for the league's top scorer.

The 32-year-old former CSKA Moscow and AC Milan playmaker earlier in the week received A-League Player of the Month honors for his performances with the Victory since arriving as a marquee signing.