Griffiths blasts City’s mentality as Mombaerts concedes Premiership bid is over

Rostyn Griffiths has blasted Melbourne City’s mentality after Erick Mombaert’ side lost 2-1 to Sydney FC and suffered a damaging blow to their Premiership hopes.

City found themselves with a great chance to halve their six-point deficit to the Sky Blues on Sunday when Connor Metcalfe headed the visitors in front before Rhyan Grant saw red for Sydney three minutes later.

But despite holding a numerical advantage from the 25^th minute onwards, City could not make it count, with Adam Le Fondre notching a quickfire equaliser and Kosta Barbarouses curling in a late winner.

It means City will enter 2019 chasing a nine-point deficit after a run of three defeats in four matches in December.

Mombaerts’ side were flagged as Sydney’s main challengers for silverware early in the season but much of that optimism has dissipated following defeats to Perth Glory, Melbourne Victory and the Sky Blues.

The latest loss forced Griffiths, named stand-in captain at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, to question the club’s mentality.

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“I think the coach touched on it last week,” Griffiths told FOX Sports.

“A little bit of the mentality of the club at the moment [is holding us back].

“Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory, when it comes to big games they know how to win, they know how to turn up.

“They are the two teams that you don’t want to play in the finals series and they’re the two teams you don’t want to play in the league.

“And if we want to be at that level, if people want to think of us in that sense, at the moment we are this close to being a top, top side.

“We play nice football, we’ve got good tactics. We know what we’re doing, but for some reason our mentality isn’t where it needs to be.”

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City produced 18 shots to Sydney’s four at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium but apart from an ambitious bicycle kick from Adrian Luna, Mombaerts’ men were unable to seriously trouble Sky Blues goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne.

Mombaerts admitted that his side did not show enough ambition to emerge victorious.

“Maybe we haven’t done enough to score,” the Frenchman told FOX Sports.

“We had some good shots but not enough. When you can’t win it’s very important to take one point. They had only one chance and they score.

“[It was] not enough. I think we have to do more.

“Sometimes we don’t press enough, I think we didn’t want to win enough.”

The 64-year-old also said conceded his side’s chance of catching Sydney were over.

“Of course, yes [it is over]. Because today was a good opportunity to come back. But after we have done this, I think it will be easy for this team [Sydney].”