City humble Western in Grand Final rematch

Isuzu UTE A-League leaders Melbourne City laid down their silverware credentials with Marco Tilio starring in a 4-0 dismantling of reigning champions Western United.

Tilio opened the scoring with a terrific solo effort in the ninth minute with Leo Lacroix’s disastrous own goal, his third of the season, three minutes later putting City in full control on Saturday night.

The Socceroos youngster teed up Jamie Maclaren for City’s third in the 24th minute with Andrew Nabbout adding another in the 84th at AAMI Park.

Maclaren has now scored in a record 10th consecutive national league game and has 13 goals for the season.

City sit six points clear of second-placed Central Coast Mariners with a game in hand and appear destined to claim a third straight Premiership.

Meanwhile, Western are 10th and are dealing with Lacroix’s dramatic drop-off from arguably the league’s best defender last season to a shadow of his former self, while left-back Ben Garuccio hobbled off in the 60th minute.

The game exploded when Tilio pounced on a loose Connor Pain pass inside his own half, burst down the right wing, cut inside Lacroix and coolly finished into the bottom corner.

Then disaster struck.

Tomoki Imai slipped while attempting to receive a wayward Jamie Young pass and Mathew Leckie pounced, sliding the ball across goal before Lacroix, in attempting to cut out the pass, turned it into his own net.

City made it 3-0 when Leckie found Tilio with a wonderful cross-field ball and the winger squared it to Maclaren, who took a touch then drilled it into the bottom corner.

Western had renewed energy after the break and Aleksandar Prijovic prodded just wide three minutes into the second half.

In the 51st minute, Lacroix almost created a second disaster with a loose backpass that Young had to scramble to clear off the line.

City added a fourth when Thomas Lam launched forward and Richard van der Venne combined with Maclaren then took possession in the 18-yard box,

With Western’s defence standing still, he slipped through Nabbout who chipped Young.