Thump.
The sound off the boot reverberated around Coopers Stadium. Nick D’Agostino’s first-time strike was hit with absolute conviction – and the powerful drive had the accuracy to match.
Within a flash the fierce strike was in the top-right corner; it drew Melbourne Victory level with Adelaide United, and ultimately earned the visiting side a point in a relentlessly entertaining Original Rivalry bout on Saturday night.
Now, Victory will hope D’Agostino’s thunderbolt – and the positive reaction it inspired – can provide the electric jolt needed to revive the club’s flatlining Isuzu UTE A-League campaign.
“In the end it’s a good comeback after going a goal down early, when you consider the results we’ve been having,” said head coach Tony Popovic, in the aftermath of the 1-1 draw between the two old rivals.
Earning a point on the road against Adelaide lifted Victory off the foot of the table, leaving reigning champions Western United in the basement.
“Fantastic character and determination to come back,” he continued. “It’s not easy to get results here and the second half we totally dominated that game. I’m disappointed we haven’t won that.
“They’ll be disappointed now because it was a wonderful performance. We didn’t look like a team that’s struggled in confidence… many, many young boys on the park there at the end, we didn’t get the win but we move on to Perth.”
MATCH REPORT: D’AGOSTINO ROCKET EARNS VICTORY A POINT IN CLASSIC ORIGINAL RIVALRY BOUT AGAINST REDS
D’Agostino was the architect of Victory’s second-half resurgence, after a first-half defined by the languid defensive efforts which led to Adelaide wingers Ben Halloran and Craig Goodwin dancing through a number of would-be challenges in a slick move which resulted in the latter opening the scoring on the seven-minute mark.
But just moments after the break, Victory turned the tide through D’Agostino’s thumping effort. The fringe Socceroo oozed confidence as he unleashed from distance – but expressed relief in the post-match dissection as he ended a five-game goal drought.
“It’s about time, to be honest!” He told Paramount+.
“I’ve only scored twice this season so far, obviously we’ve had a tough start to the season and I think tonight we (went) back to the same formation as last year, and I think it was a really, really tough performance.
“I was cramping from the 85th minute on – I didn’t cramp at all last season, so it was a tough, physical game. It was quite humid out there, so it took it out of the body.
“It’s the Original Rivalry, we knew it was going to be tough, and like I said we haven’t had the greatest start to the season so we needed to come out here and put in a good performance.”
The challenge now is for Victory to carry the positivity forward after a 1-1 draw which snapped a three-game losing streak.
A club battling issues both on and off the field through 2022-23, Saturday night’s Original Rivalry gave Victory the chance to take the initial steps on a journey they hope will lead back into relevance on the Isuzu UTE A-League table this season.
“The boss keeps telling us we face adversity every week, but we’ve got to overcome that,” D’Agostino added. “I thought we did that (tonight). It’s a good start for sure.”
Paramount+ commentators Simon Hill and Andy Harper sung the praises of D’Agostino in the aftermath of his energetic performance at Coopers Stadium, with Harper pondering what Victory’s gutsy display on the road will mean in the grand scheme of their 2022-23 campaign.
“(D’Agostino was) excellent for me,” Hill said. “I thought he covered every blade of grass… he worked really hard for his team. In the second half, he got his reward with this absolutely brilliant goal.
Harper replied: “Now the question for Nick D’Agostino, is if the quality of that goal for Melbourne Victory is enough to actually turn the fortunes of the team on the competition table.
“They gave plenty tonight, both teams were excellent, both desperate for the three points.”
THE MATCHDAY AGENDA
Perth Glory 2-2 Sydney FC
MATCH REPORT: ‘FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION LACKING’ AS SKY BLUES DROP POINTS AGAIN
Adelaide United 1-1 Melbourne Victory
MATCH REPORT: D’AGOSTINO ROCKET EARNS VICTORY A POINT IN CLASSIC ORIGINAL RIVALRY BOUT AGAINST REDS
Brisbane Roar 0-1 Wellington Phoenix
MATCH REPORT: ZAWADA STRIKES AND SAIL STARS AS ‘NIX BEAT ROAR ON THE ROAD
