Melbourne City set the stage for this weekend’s top of the table clash with Western United, while Wellington Phoenix entered the top six thanks to a late winner in a five-goal thriller against Newcastle Jets.
Earlier in a Wednesday night Isuzu UTE triple header, Central Coast had Mark Birighitti to thank as they stayed in a clash with Melbourne Victory before snatching an 84th minute equaliser.
Read on for a summary of the night’s action, and all the key talking points.
- Central Coast Mariners 1 v Melbourne Victory 1
MATCH REPORT: Birighitti brilliance helps Monte trump Popa’s bench flex
- Melbourne City 3 v Macarthur FC 1
MATCH REPORT: Stage set for weekend’s 1 v 2 showdown
- Wellington Phoenix 3 v Newcastle Jets 2
MATCH REPORT: Nix into top six after five-goal thriller
MELBOURNE CITY 3 (Mariappa OG 27′, Berenguer 45′, Maclaren 55′)
MACARTHUR 1 (Giannou 15′)
Apostolos Giannou struck against the run of play to open the scoring at AAMI Park but in the end it was a comprehensive triumph for Melbourne City on Wednesday night.
City constructed some lovely football to take the advantage, with Florin Berenguer and Aiden O’Neill pulling the strings. The former unleashed Jamie Maclaren before Adrian Mariappa’s own goal, and the latter unlocked Macarthur’s defence to pick out Andrew Nabbout, who rampaged down the right to tee up Berenguer.
Melbourne City’s finishing was ultimately the difference; Macarthur had nine attempts from within the area, but could only covert the one chance.
“Nine shots inside the opposition box, the conversion rate has to be better than that,” co-commentator Phil Moss mused on Paramount+.
55′ GOAL CITY 3-1! A contentious penalty decision, but Jamie Maclaren makes no mistake from the spot for his 11th goal of the campaign.
45′ GOAL CITY! 2-1. Lovely weighted pass from Aiden O’Neill, superb drive from Andrew Nabbout down the right, and Florin Berenguer was the quickest to react in the box.
“When you have that many defenders and the opposition is getting through that easily … an inquistion needs to happen at half-time,” co-commentator Phil Moss said on Paramount+.
27′ GOAL CITY! 1-1. The finish was lucky, with Maclaren’s effort from an acute angle deflecting off Macarthur’s central defender. But the build up was lovely, with Berenguer’s pass to his striker creating the opening.
15′ GOAL MACARTHUR! Apostolos Giannou scores his side’s 11th set piece goal of the season (out of the 23 they’ve scored in total) to go 1-0 up.
“How goals change games, that is remarkable,” Phil Moss said in co-commentary on Paramount+.
“No doubt Melbourne City have been on top early … Craig Noone’s (set piece) delivery is absolutely outstanding and Giannou is on the spot … it takes all the sting out of what Melbourne City have been doing so far this game.”
WELLINGTON PHOENIX 3 (Sotirio 25′, Waine 46′, Ball 88′)
NEWCASTLE JETS 2 (Penha 42′, Boumal 63′)
Wellington enter the top six thanks to the dramatic late winner from David Ball, punishing Newcastle Jets who had 31 shots during the contest.
Oli Sail was immense once again in goal for the Phoenix, who still have not lost in the league since New Year’s Day, and they executed their game plan to perfection.
Two fine strikes from Daniel Penha and Olivier Boumal summed up the Jets’ quality when at their best. However, former Jets fullback Daniel Georgievski said the defeat was the story of Newcastle’s season, and they’d been brutally exposed on the counter-attack, particularly by Ben Waine’s strike. “They are first in all the statistics, but the main statistic on top,” he summed up at full-time in co-commentary on Paramount+.
He observed: “They get caught out too many times trying to win a 50-50, or even a 30-70 ball, and Wellington are waiting for the counter attack, and they’ve been punished.”
Jason Hoffman couldn’t quite believe they had lost again.
“Hard to find words,” he lamented.
“We played some really good football but it is not enough at the moment. We are getting punished for the small errors and details. We play risky at times, we threw everything at, it is only round 14.”
88′ GOAL WELLINGTON 3-2. David Ball with a late header to put the Nix back in front. The Jets have had some 30 shots this match, but only eight on target. Ball’s thumping header is the ultimate punishment, converting a cross where Sam Sutton had all the time in the world to deliver. That is seven goals conceded in the Jets’ last three outings. Wellington have scored three times, from three shots on target.
63′ GOAL NEWCASTLE 2-2. It was coming. The Jets win the ball high up the park, move it quickly, and Boumal buried it.
58′ Newcastle are baring down on Wellington’s goal but the Nix scramble admirably.
45+1′ GOAL WELLINGTON. Wellington go end-to-end. A Newcastle corner ends with a Wellington goal, with Waine surging down the left before finishing with aplomb. “That’s Newcastle’s fault … defence lacking concentration,” Daniel Georgievski said in commentary. Superb long pass from Gael Sandoval to unleash Waine in behind.
42′ GOAL NEWCASTLE. A sublime drive from the edge of the area from Daniel Penha who squeezes it home through a packed box. “A deserved goal,” observed Georgievski.
25′ GOAL WELLINGTON. Matt Jurman is punished for dragging down Jaushua Sotirio as he surged in behind, and he converted the ensuing penalty.
CENTRAL COAST MARINERS 1 (Muller 84′)
MELBOURNE VICTORY 1 (D’Agostino 38′)
So often the victims after the 80th minute, Central Coast Mariners finally enjoyed stealing a point of their own thanks to Nicolai Muller’s 84th minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Melbourne Victory.
Nick D’Agostino opened the scoring in the 38th minute, punishing Daniel Hall after he couldn’t handle a long pass over the top.
Mark Birighitti was immense for the hosts, making a number of top saves as Tony Popovic’s side searched for a first away win since December in the A-Leagues.
The Mariners dominated possession, but until their final flurry in the final 15 minutes, it was Victory who were producing the clearer chances.
Popovic might argue there would never have been a late raid had referee Stephen Lucas shown a second yellow card to Lewis Miller in the 32nd minute for a professional foul on Ben Folami. It looked like Lucas was about to go to his pocket, and then had a change of heart.
84′ GOAL MARINERS! After their brightest period of the game, the hosts cashed in. Nicolai Muller, a second-half sub, is the fastest to react in the box after Jason Cummings won a scrap in the box.
For once, it is the Mariners striking late!
62‘ Make that four crucial saves from Birighitti. He stands tall at the near post to thwart Marco Rojas; Victory were too hot handle, breaking through towards goal after sharp combination play on the halfway line.
54′ Good moment for the Mariners, with Urena flashing a strike across the face of goal. He was marginally off-side, but a more promising spark.
HALF-TIME: The stats tell the story. Victory have not had much of the ball, but they’ve been dangerous when they have.
38′ GOAL VICTORY. A gift from Central Coast. Hall makes an awful mistake dealing with a long ball, which D’Agostino pounces on and punishes ruthlessly.
32′ Flashpoint. Lewis Miller fouls Ben Folami on halfway. He is already on a yellow card. Steven Lucas almost pulled out a second yellow but thought better of it. In commentary Daniel McBreen says he agrees with Tony Popovic: Did you not give a yellow because he is already on one?
30′ At the half hour mark, Victory have already mustered five efforts on goal. Central Coast have had 68% possession. The away side are the more dangerous, however.
25′ Rojas picks out a nice angled run in behind from Folami, and Birighitti has to be sharp to come out and smother. All Victory now.
20′: Birighitti save – x2! Bit more life in the contest now, with Marco Rojas picking the ball up between the lines, with space, before testing the keeper with a low driving shot that needed tipping wide.
Birighitti had to be razor sharp off the ensuing corner, palming away Brendan Hamill’s header from close range.
5′: It has been all the hosts to begin with, with plenty of possession high up the park as Victory struggle to break out of their own half.
