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10Apr23
A-League Leaders Maul Ten-Man Wellington
by Jeremy Ruane
Isuzu Ute A-League leaders Melbourne City moved to within a win of claiming the Premiers' Plate in the competition on Easter Monday after mauling ten-man Wellington Phoenix 4-1 at AAMI Park, continuing the visitors' hoodoo at a venue where they've won just three times throughout their existence.
It also meant Wellington have now lost three consecutive fixtures at the worst possible time, with their hopes of clinching a home fixture in the play-off series now looking increasingly remote with just three rounds remaining, and the chasing pack now just two points behind them - it's not inconceivable that Ufuk Talay's team could miss out on the play-offs altogether.
In their favour is that they certainly won't come up against a team as good as the league leaders in their remaining round-robin fixtures. City started with a hiss and a roar, Jordan Bos forcing a save from Oli Sail inside the first minute on receipt of a Valon Berisha free-kick.
Three minutes later, Sail launched the ball downtown, with David Ball flicking the sphere into the stride of Oskar Zawada as he tore through the inside right channel. The striker was one-on-one with Tom Glover, and duly slipped the ball past the 'keeper but narrowly past the far post as well.
After that scare, the home team took charge of proceedings, Berisha's fourteenth minute corner ricocheting goalwards off Marco Tulio. Sail grabbed the ball on this occasion, while two minutes later, Tim Payne came to Wellington's rescue, denying Jamie Maclaren as he pulled the trigger after Tulio and Florin Berenguer-Bohrer had combined to good effect on the right.
Halfway through the first half, Berenguer-Bohrer and Maclaren worked a one-two on the edge of the area which saw the league's leading marksman power into the penalty area and startle Sail with an acute-angled shot which sizzled past the near post.
That drew a reaction from Wellington, with Zawada getting the better of Curtis Good in the 25th minute before presenting Bozhidar Kraev with the chance to shoot, or slip in Yan Sasse, who was doubling around on his left. The Bulgarian went for glory, but saw his effort deflected to safety by Callum Talbot.
Sasse took the resulting corner, which was cleared back to him. This time, he flighted a lovely cross to the far post which found Alex Rufer flying in to meet it, only for Wellington's captain to be thwarted superbly at close quarters by Glover - a terrific save.
City's custodian then blocked a Zawada free-kick to safety as the visitors made their case for scoring the game's opening goal, while Thomas Lam blocked a Sasse drive on the hour as he jinked his way through a couple of challenges.
Back came the home team, Aiden O'Neill's shot on the run from twenty yards being well saved by Sail, who was forced to fish the ball out of his net in the 34th minute as Maclaren ended a run of five goalless games in unerring fashion.
Bos started the move on the left, coming inside off the flank before linking with Andrew Nabbout. He worked a neat one-two with Berisha before slipping the ball into the feet of Maclaren, who had two defenders in close attendance inside the penalty area. The striker sidestepped both superbly before drilling the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of Sail's net.
Wellington sought an immediate response, Zawada playing Sasse in, only for Good to thwart his progress. The ball fell invitingly into the stride of Wellington's leading marksman, but Zawada's twenty yard effort was deflected to safety.
Three minutes before half-time, Callan Elliot, Zawada and Sasse combined neatly, the last-mentioned cutting inside before working a one-two with Kraev, only to see his low cross cleared by Lam with Zawada and Ball lined up just behind the defender, poised to pounce.
On the stroke of half-time, Steven Ugarkovic pinged a ball forward to Zawada, who controlled it neatly but was cleaned out by Good in decidedly dubious fashion. Referee Adam Kersey saw no cause for a penalty, nor did the Video Assistant Referee … have another look, lads, 'cause you got this decision well wrong!
There was more action in the first twenty minutes of the second half than you tend to see in an entire half of football! O'Neill fouled Zawada in the centre circle in the 47th minute - another incident overlooked by referee Kersey, and the midfielder instantly sent Tulio tearing down the left, from where he cut into the penalty area before seeing his shot superbly blocked by Sail.
The resulting corner saw Berisha's delivery to the
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near post met by Lam, who made a great diagonal run to do so. He deserved better than to see his glancing header land on the roof of the net.
From the resulting goal-kick, Sasse sent the ball wide to Zawada, in space on the right. His cross was only partially cleared by Lam, with Sasse pouncing on the loose ball before setting up Ugarkovic, who unleashed a rocket which ricocheted off half-time substitute Nuno Reis and past the already diving figure of Glover into the net - 1-1, game on!
Or so we thought! That goal was akin to waving a red rag to a bull, because Melbourne's response during the next eight minutes of play was simply devastating! Within three minutes, they had regained the lead via a lovely goal.
Tulio led the charge before feeding Berisha, who turned the ball into Nabbout's path. He evaded Joshua Laws' challenge before firing in a cross behind all-comers. Maclaren was anticipating it, however, and created two yards of space for himself to sweep home a ten-yard shot on the turn between Sail and his near post.
And they certainly weren't satisfied with a second goal. Wellington's goal suddenly came under siege, initially via the combination of Tulio and Bos, whose low cross into the penalty area was scrambled to safety in the 54th minute.
Seconds later, Berisha's deft touch invited Talbot to surge into Wellington's half before feeding Nabbout. He jinked his way into the penalty area past two opponents before steering a shot past Sail which looked a goal for all money until Elliot, sliding in, diverted it past the left-hand upright - a brilliant piece of defending.
Alas for Wellington, it was a false reprieve. Bos battered a shot at goal from the resulting corner which Sail was pleased to grab. He then looked on as the hat-trick-hunting Maclaren thundered a powerful drive over the bar.
In the 57th minute, however, City gained their due reward for this incredible spell of sustained attacking pressure. O'Neill fed Nabbout on the left, from where he darted into the penalty area before switching the point of attack to Tulio. His control was exemplary, his curled finish into the far corner of the net exquisite - 3-1.
Wellington made changes to their line-up, but the sky blue tide continued to head relentlessly towards their goal. Tulio picked out Berisha with an angled 61st minute pass which the midfielder back-heeled into the stride of Nabbout. He curled a shot around Sail, only to see it carry on narrowly past the far post - it was so close to being goal number four.
Still City came, Berisha and Berenguer-Bohrer working a one-two on the edge of the area before the former's cross was headed over his own crossbar by Zawada - when your attacking spearhead is on defensive duties in open play, you know you're under the cosh, and Wellington certainly were!
The resulting corner was cleared, and a Reis error let in one of Wellington's substitutes, Costa Barbarouses, in the 64th minute. Bearing down on goal, he only had Glover to beat, but the 'keeper thwarted him, blocking the opportunity with his legs.
The ball was cleared towards Nabbout on the right. Laws came forward to regain possession for Wellington, but slipped on the treacherous surface, his wildly flying boot catching Nabbout in the face - completely unintentionally, of course, but … out came the red card, and the visitors were now a man down, as well as 3-1 down.
City continued to threaten their numerically challenged opponents, Sail grabbing a Maclaren header from a Talbot cross before foiling Tulio superbly with a left-handed save after O'Neill had slipped the striker through with just the 'keeper to beat in the 69th minute.
Sail denied Maclaren again in the 73rd minute, but there was no denying Melbourne a fourth goal ten minutes later, one which this six-man move richly merited. Lam, Maclaren, O'Neill, Berenguer-Bohrer and the overlapping figure of Bos combined with a one-touch interchange which culminated in Tulio tucking home the fullback's cross on the far post - a fitting manner in which to wrap up a splendid Melbourne performance.
Melbourne: Glover; Talbot (booked, 70), Lam, Good (Reis, 46), Bos; Berisha (Galloway, 78), O'Neill, Berenguer-Bohrer (Caputo, 85); Nabbout (Rodrigues, 82), Maclaren, Tilio
Wellington: Sail; Elliot, Payne, Laws (sent off, 65), Sutton; Sasse (Boxall, 67), Ugarkovic (Pennington, 85), Rufer (Lewis, 58), Kraev (Barbarouses, 58); Ball (booked, 89), Zawada (Van Hattum, 85)
Referee: Adam Kersey
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