- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Melbourne City coach Aurelio Vidmar has hailed the resilience of his players after beating Western United 2-0 in a fiery derby that moves them into second on the A-League Men table.
Missing eight first-choice players due to injury, City dominated their Victorian rivals at AAMI Park on Tuesday night to make it through a sixth-straight match unbeaten.
“We are super resilient at the moment and we’ve had to be with all the injuries that we’ve had,” Vidmar said.
“The young boys have had to step up and they’ve been great. Super resilient.
“I’ve got to take my hat off to them.
“Even though we were suffering throughout that game at times … they just really dug deep.”
Tensions boiled over multiple times with United coach John Aloisi given a yellow card in the final minutes after his players were furious about a tackle from City’s Ben Dubar.
“I still don’t understand why I got a yellow, but I have to deal with it,” Aloisi said.
“I wasn’t talking to the fourth official or the referee at that stage, I was talking to someone else.”
Harry Politidis of Melbourne City celebrates his goal. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)
Harry Politidis, who only scored his first A-League goal four days earlier, broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute after capitalising on a corner from 17-year-old debutant Lawrence Wong.
City’s hard work and persistence was truly rewarded when Ben Mazzeo slotted an excellent shot from a difficult angle in the 59th minute to get past United goalkeeper Matthew Sutton.
They were denied a third goal in the 82nd minute following a late offside call.
Coming off a rousing 3-2 win in Perth on Friday night, the comedown of that performance and the travel to and from Western Australia seemed to leave United flat and uninspired in attack.
Aloisi’s team managed just one shot on target as they failed to complete a club-record fifth-straight win.
The hero from United’s triumph against the Glory, Jordan Lauton had to sit out this clash after earning a second yellow card following his spectacular matchwinner.
City’s injury crisis threatened to escalate further after captain Aziz Behich and star Nathaniel Atkinson both had extended periods in pain on the turf.
But Wong’s impressive debut ended in the 49th minute when he was subbed out with cramp.
Andreas Kuen was injured against Wellington on Friday, joining Yonatan Cohen, Mat Leckie, Marco Tilio, Andrew Nabbout, Max Caputo, Alessandro Lopane and Jimmy Jeggo on the sidelines.
City will be back in action on Saturday when they host cellar-dwellers Brisbane, while United have another derby on Friday night when they take on Melbourne Victory.
Brisbane Roar’s horror home losing streak hit a new low when Newcastle Jets substitute Lachlan Rose scored a 74th-minute winner at Suncorp Stadium.
The Roar earn unwanted records each week and have now lost eight consecutive home games in the A-League Men competition, breaking the mark of seven they shared with the New Zealand Knights team from back in 2005.
The Jets moved up to 10 points and remained in 11th position on Tuesday, while the Roar stayed last on two points to add further pressure on under-siege coach Ruben Zadkovich.
Zadkovich was of the view his side dominated, as he did after the 3-1 loss to Central Coast on Friday.
“It does feel like déjà vu. Four days ago we were sat in the same room and saying pretty similar things,” he said.
“I do feel like we were the better team. We were very unlucky not to go ahead and very unlucky not to win the game.”
Jets coach Rob Stanton has the belief his side can go on a winning run.
“Every time we play I think we are going to win,” he said.
“We don’t fear any team. We are not scared. I am confident and have a lot of faith in the playing group and I challenged them a couple of weeks ago to make sure they don’t waste opportunities and they have responded really well.”
Clayton Taylor made a brilliant early solo run down the left wing for Newcastle and his left-foot shot was destined for the net before 17-year-old Roar central defender Lucas Herrington came from the clouds to deny him with a desperate block.
A moment of controversy midway through the first half lit up the match. Jets’ Callum Timmins hit a thunderous left-footer that hit the underside of the crossbar and appeared on the angle of one replay to have crossed the line.
But referee Alireza Faghani ruled no goal with VAR backing up the on-field decision.
The Jets created the best chances and Eli Adams hit the woodwork with a cracking half-volley to highlight the lack of fortune they were experiencing.
The Roar benched teenager Thomas Waddingham and played Adam Zimarino as striker, but it didn’t work. The hosts had more final third entries in the first half but couldn’t make it count.
After the break, the Jets were denied again when a Lachlan Bayliss shot ricocheted off Roar defender Walid Shour on the line and straight into the arms of Macklin Freke.
It stung the Roar into action and they discovered their mojo, looking like a completely different side.
Keegan Jelacic and Samuel Klein forced Jets No.1 Ryan Scott into saves, while Herrington hit the crossbar with a header and Klein headed wide at the far post from a curling Jelacic free kick.
Waddingham replaced Zimarino in the 62nd minute, but it was Rose who emerged the hero in just his second match for the Jets when he latched onto a brilliant Thomas Aquilina cross.
The Roar have not won at home since a 3-2 win over Melbourne Victory on March 3. The club’s last win was a 2-1 away victory over Western Sydney on April 5 … 278 days ago. Their club record winless streak now stretches to 14.
© AAP
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.