Socceroo Mathew Leckie scored a double as Melbourne City’s charge to the A-League Men’s premiers plate continued with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Sydney FC at AAMI Park.
The winger took his tally to nine for the season as he led City to a fourth straight win on Wednesday.
REACTION: ‘I’ve been visualising it’: Bos delighted with maiden City strike
Youngster Jordan Bos’s first half-rocket lit up a cagey first half in front of a sparse midweek crowd, while leading scorer Jamie Maclaren was the other player to get on the scoresheet as City completely outclassed last year’s Grand Final rivals.
A clean sheet also means Patrick Kisnorbo’s team has now gone three matches without conceding in an 11-game unbeaten run.
With points in the bag, the victory gives City the edge to win consecutive premierships but second-placed Western United still pose a major threat, having played three games less and just eight points adrift.
City’s rout began in spectacular style with 19-year-old Bos’s maiden ALM goal in the 27th minute.
The teenager pounced on a cleared corner before rifling a first-time finish off his left foot from 25m past unsighted Sydney goalkeeper Tom Heward-Belle.
Sydney failed to get a shot on target in the first half and found themselves two down 10 minutes into the second period when Leckie nodded home from an Andrew Nabbout cross.
The effort was initially ruled out with the referee’s assistant raising his flag as Nabbout flirted with the touchline, but a VAR check deemed the ball hadn’t gone out before the Socceroo crossed and the goal was given.
That led Sydney coach Steve Corica to make a triple substitution and it nearly paid immediate dividends when Luciano Narsingh, one of the players introduced, combined with Adam Le Fondre in the 59th minute.
The English forward’s curling effort was well palmed away by City goalkeeper Tom Glover in the only save he had to make on the night.
Socceroos forward Maclaren hit the post after Leckie and Nabbout again combined well in the 66th minute but just four minutes later the league’s leading scorer notched his 14th of the campaign.
A delightful through ball from Marco Tilio released Maclaren who sprinted clear of Mustafa Amini before blasting past Heward-Belle.
Leckie then wrapped up the win in the 73rd minute when he juggled the ball past James Donachie before slamming an effort from the edge of the area into the bottom corner.
The only sour point for City was an ankle injury to midfielder Aiden O’Neill after he was caught by Le Fondre in the first half.
O’Neill was substituted shortly after the challenge and must be a doubt for Saturday’s derby against Melbourne Victory – City’s last game before they head to Thailand for the club’s maiden Asian Champions League campaign.
Sydney are in a tight battle to finish in the top six, sitting fifth on the ladder with five home-and-away matches remaining.
The Sky Blues play two more league games before their own Asian Champions League adventure in Vietnam, against Central Coast on Saturday and then at home against Adelaide next Tuesday.
RE-LIVE: MELBOURNE CITY 4-0 SYDNEY FC, AS IT HAPPENED
By Matt Comito for KEEPUP
A second-half Mathew Leckie brace helped Melbourne City cruise to a 4-0 win over Sydney FC in the Grand Final rematch.
Teenage City defender Jordan Bos scored his maiden Isuzu UTE A-League goal, with Jamie Maclaren bagging his 14th goal of the season in a comprehensive City display.
72′: GOAL! Leckie strikes again (4-0)
It’s 4-0 to City at AAMI Park!
“This team is starting to run rampant,” sais Paramount+ co-commentator Daniel McBreen as Leckie got his second of the night, juggling the ball off his thigh before lashing a strike from outside the box into the bottom-right corner.
70′: GOAL! Maclaren extends Golden Boot lead (3-0)
Jamie Maclaren’s 14th goal of the season came off the back of a magnificent through pass from Marco Tilio, who left the City spearhead the simple task of firing past Heward-Belle in a one-on-one.
55′: GOAL! Leckie makes it two (2-0)
Andrew Nabbout’s cross to Mathew Leckie resulted in a headed goal to City’s number seven which was initially ruled out by the linesman, who thought the ball had crossed the byline before Nabbout got his cross away.
But a VAR check correctly reversed the decision, handing Leckie his eighth goal of the campaign.
‘I’ve been visualising it’: Bos delighted with maiden City strike
It was a goal years in the making for City academy product Jordan Bos.
In his ninth Isuzu UTE A-League appearance, Bos popped up in the right place at the right time to meet a ball bouncing invitingly out of his side’s attacking box after a corner routine.
The opportunity to strike was on – but Bos still had plenty to do. He put his head down and let a left-footed strike rip into the bottom-right corner.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Bos said. “I’ve come from way back in the youth (setup) just waiting for my chance. I finally got it – and I took it.
“I’ve been visualising it for a while – but nothing like that!”
Bos Joined the City academy in 2016, playing two seasons in the former Y-League before signing his first senior contract in 2020/21.
His Isuzu UTE A-League debut came this season – with his first goal coming in some style against the Sky Blues on Wednesday night.
HALF-TIME: CITY 1-0 SKY BLUES
A debut Bos strike is the difference at the break as City lead the Grand Final rematch by one goal to nil.
38′: OFF THE POST! Donachie hits the woodwork (1-0)
The Sky Blues went close to levellingt he scores from a corner of their own, with James Donachie rising at the back post to aim his header on goal. The ball hit the post and fell back into his path, with the City defence swarming to block his resulting strike out for another corner.
26′: GOAL! Bos strikes from range to put City ahead (1-0)
It’s a maiden Isuzu UTE A-League strike for City left-back Jordan Bos – and what a goal it was!
A City corner was cleared by the Sky Blues, but only into the path of Bos who struck low and hard toward the bottom-right corner. The ball skimmed through bodies, leaving Sydney keeper Thomas Heward-Belle unsighted and with no chance of keeping the strike out.
15′: A tight contest at AAMI Park (0-0)
A Rostyn Griffiths header from a Florin Berenguer free-kick floated over the crossbar as Melbourne City continued to show greater attacking impetus early doors.
1′: KICK-OFF (0-0)
We’re underway in the Grand Final rematch at AAMI Park!
