Melbourne Victory may sit eighth on the Hyundai A-League table but their poor league standing has little to do with their solid home form.
Melbourne Victory may sit eighth on the Hyundai A-League table but their poor league standing has little to do with their solid home form.
Victory host Newcastle Jets on Saturday and have the chance to continue their impressive unbeaten record at home which currently stands at 15 matches.
Only one other club in the history of the competition has enjoyed a longer unbeaten streak in front of their fans with Brisbane Roar avoiding defeat in 23 successive home fixtures from January 2010 to December 2011.
Victory have not lost a home fixture since a Sergio van Dijk-inspired Adelaide United won 4-1 at AAMI Park on January 9, 2011.
Of those 15 matches, six have ended in victories with the other nine finishing as draws.
That shows that despite Victory’s disappointing campaign, they are extremely difficult to beat on their home patch.
A terrific 2-1 win over the top-of-the-table Central Coast Mariners is probably the highlight of the streak, while the 3-2 triumph against Gold Coast United with just 10 men in November was another AAMI Park cracker.
The run stretches over the tenure of three managers – Ernie Merrick, Mehmet Durakovic and Jim Magilton – which indicates that the form is not down to the style or philosophy of a particular boss.
Perhaps this can be put down to Melbourne’s terrific starts at home?
In the streak, they have scored 12 goals in the first 30 minutes of matches, usually giving them a handy lead.
And with Victory buoyed by such a passionate crowd each week, it has proved very difficult to come from behind and win in Melbourne.
The club’s fans are often praised for their numbers but the noise they generate plays a big part in making it a tough place to go for opposing teams.
Many of the nine draws could have been converted into wins had it not been for the club’s habit of conceding late.
Of the 15 matches, Victory’s opposition have scored six times in the final 10 minutes.
That means the club’s record does not look as intimidating as it could.
But it is still very impressive and can be extended further on Saturday as Magilton’s men look for a crucial three points in their bid to win a spot in the Hyundai A-League finals.
