Melbourne City have leapt to the top of the Isuzu UTE A-League table, with Marco Tilio lighting up AAMI Park in the reigning champions’ 3-0 win over Newcastle.
REACTION: Where is Tilio’s best position in stacked City squad?
Wearing the captain’s armband in Scott Jamieson’s injury-enforced absence, Jamie Maclaren brilliantly volleyed City in front two minutes into first-half stoppage time.
In the second half, Tilio stole the show as a No.10, teeing up Mathew Leckie in the 52nd minute, then Carl Jenkinson 12 minutes later to ensure City bounced back from their mid-week loss to Adelaide United.
Veteran Jets defender Taylor Regan ended his 100th ALM game on a sour note when he received his marching orders following his second yellow card in the 54th.
City’s defence kept Beka Mikeltadze goalless for the first time in six matches while Newcastle’s Angus Thurgate and Jordan O’Doherty were both substituted through injury.
The end-to-end game burst to life in the 22nd minute when Jason Hoffman fouled Andrew Nabbout, with the City forward shoving his former Jets teammate and both players receiving yellow cards.
The Jets built pressure with some lovely build-up play but lacked a clinical edge and just before halftime, City broke through.
Florin Berenguer floated a cross to the near post, with golden boot leader Maclaren bursting between Newcastle’s centre-backs and brilliantly volleying home.
Seven minutes into the second half, Tilio burst forward, weaved his way through a swathe of defenders then slid a lovely squaring pass for Leckie to guide a cool-headed strike past Jack Duncan for City’s second.
Four minutes later, Regan already on a yellow from a heavy first-half challenge on Tilio, clumsily fouled the young gun outside the box and picked up his second ticket.
Immediately after, Duncan denied Leckie at close range, but City would not be denied a third.
A bursting Nabbout found Tilio, who slid the ball out to an advancing Jenkinson on the right.
The defender stroked home City’s third to round out the win.
LIVE FEED
By Matthew Comito for KEEPUP
FULL-TIME: CITY 3-0 JETS
They were put to the test in the first half, but a goal just before the break gave City a slight advantage which they proceeded to capitalise on with a further two goals in the second 45.
Marco Tilio inspired City’s efforts against the ten men of Newcastle, who played a man down after Regan’s second yellow card for a pair of fouls on Tilio on either side of the break.
Watch the highlights below.
GOAL! Jenkinson sends City cruising (9.10pm AEDT)
Marco Tilio is running amok at AAMI Park, with his second assist of the night provided to Carl Jenkinson who bombed down the right flank to finish into the bottom-left corner from inside the box.
Jenkinson was at fault for Adelaide United’s late winner in City’s last fixture but has rebounded well against the Jets, making his impact felt in both defence and attack.
It’s 3-0 to City as the clock ticks toward 70 minutes.
GOAL! Tilio ‘at his glorious best’ to tee up Leckie, send of Regan (9.00pm AEDT)
In the space of two minutes, a dribbling Marco Tilio set up City’s second goal of the game, before drawing Taylor Regan into a challenge on the edge of the box which led to the dismissal of the Jets defender.
The run for the assist was a masterful piece of skill defined by the speed and close touch-work of the young Socceroo, as he drove through a handful of Jets chasers before playing the ball to Leckie for the simplest of finishes.
Regan received his first yellow card in the opening half for a late challenge on Tilio and the second offence was no different, however committed closer to goal to leave the referee with no choice but to reduce Newcastle to 10 men.
GOAL! Who else but J-Mac as City get on top in first-half stoppage time
Goal number nine for the season from City superstar Jamie Maclaren puts City 1-0 up on the cusp of half time.
Florin Berenguer’s assist was a sight to behold, with the Frenchman darting down the left wing, cutting back toward the tip of the box with some neat footwork before putting the ball on a plate for Maclaren to finish.
A Marco Tilio one-on-one from a tight angle was the only other genuine chance on goal in a largely uneventful first half. The Jets ran a tight ship through the opening stanza but a late switch-off allowed Berenguer to set up Maclaren for the lead.
Nabbout and Hoffman in feisty exchange (8.10pm AEDT)
A late challenge on Andrew Nabbout from Jason Hoffman saw the former get to his feed and shove the latter to the ground, resulting in a yellow card to both players for their respective parts in the exchange.
In the aftermath, Nabbout swaps wings with Mathew Leckie as his Socceroos teammate matches up with Hoffman just 25 minutes into the first half.
KICK-OFF: Underway at AAMI Park (7.45pm AEDT)
Jamie Maclaren leads City into battle on Friday night in the absence of injured Scott Jamieson, with Jets striker Beka Mikeltadze looking to keep the pace with the City captain in the Golden Boot race.
TEAM NEWS
PRE-MATCH
It’s Jamie Maclaren against Beka Mikeltadze in the Golden Boot charge on Friday night at AAMI Park.
Melbourne City will sweat on the fitness of key players Scott Jamieson and Marco Tilio after the pair trudged off with respective injuries during their side’s shock 2-1 loss to Adelaide United in midweek.
The champions squandered the chance to surge to the top of the table by dropping all three points in a game they led through a Jamie Maclaren strike in the first half.
Tsubasa Endoh comes into contention to make his City debut after signing on a six-month contract at the start of February.
Newcastle, meanwhile, are buoyant after a stunning 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory on February 12. Arthur Papas’ side are one of four sides separated by just one point between eighth and 11th spot on the A-League Men’s table, but a win would take the Jets to within one point of the top six – that’s how close the standings are at this point in the season.
