Goalkeepers are the toast of the Hyundai A-League after a string of stellar performances over the weekend. Find out how they did it in our recap of the Round 5 action.
CHAMPIONS GO TOP
Sydney FC are still the team to beat.
That was the lesson from Friday night’s top-of-the-table clash at AAMI Park as the champions stamped their authority over the previously perfect Melbourne City.
With City stung by Tim Cahill’s first half injury, a rare Luke Wilkshire goal proved the game’s defining moment.
Warren Joyce’s men had taken maximum points from their opening four matches, but the Round 5 fixture came too soon against the competition’s most efficient, organised unit.
JETS OUTGUN PHOENIX
How far can Newcastle go this season?
The Jets haven’t appeared in the Finals Series since the 2009-10 season but, on the evidence of Saturday’s dominant 3-0 home win over Wellington Phoenix, that could be about to change.
An in-form Roy O’Donovan boosted his tally to seven goals in five games with a first half brace and appears to have solved the search for a reliable hit-man.
Andrew Nabbout, the club’s top scorer last season, completed a one-sided victory shortly after the interval to leave an outclassed Wellington at the foot of the ladder.
GLORY LEAPFROG ADELAIDE
It was a test of patience for Perth Glory on Saturday night as they were made to wait for three points against an injury-hit Adelaide United.
Kenny Lowe commented that the hosts had enough chances to win two games and they got their reward in the end, Andy Keogh nodding in the winner 10 minutes from time.
The damage would have been greater if not for Reds shot-stopper Paul Izzo, who began a terrific night between the sticks by palming away Diego Castro’s early penalty.
Marco Kurz will be anxious to regain his injured stars as quickly as possible.
WAIT GOES ON FOR ROAR AND MARINERS
Brisbane Roar and Central Coast Mariners are still searching for drought-breaking wins following a 0-0 draw that did little to satisfy either side.
Massimo Maccarone and Daniel De Silva had the best chances either side of half-time with the latter especially culpable for failing to beat Jamie Young in a one-on-one.
Confident clean sheets from Young and opposite number Ben Kennedy – who both started for the first time this season – gave cause for optimism to their respective managers.
10-MAN VICTORY EARN DRAMATIC DRAW
What threatened to become a fizzer morphed into the round’s most exhilarating match on Melbourne Cup eve.
Monday’s meeting between a winless Melbourne Victory and a Western Sydney side seeking to impress a new boss carried a high level of intrigue, but Mitch Austin’s silly sending off inside half an hour looked set to put a dampener on proceedings.
And the advantage was firmly in the visitors’ favour when Oriol Riera nodded in his fourth of the season for a 1-0 lead.
The hosts soon wrestled back the momentum through Lawrence Thomas’ game-changing save from a Riera penalty before Thomas Deng equalising with his maiden Hyundai A-League goal sent Etihad into raptures.
A tense finale ended with scores level at 1-1 as Victory held on for a resilient point, while Western Sydney pondered the what-ifs of a frustrating fourth straight draw.
