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Melbourne City may well wonder how they do not walk away with three points today. Look to three moments.
The latter two were Glen Trifiro’s stunning free kick at the second attempt. The second was of course John Hutchinson’s late equaliser.
But don’t forget the important save Liam Reddy from Jacob Melling’s bullet free kick in the 75th minute. Had that gone in, it would have likely ended 3-0.
Instead, the Mariners take a point, and didn’t the players celebrate akin to a grand final win!
FINAL SCORE:
Melbourne City 2-2 Central Coast Mariners
Melbourne City continue their post David Villa-resurgence as they return to a relaid AAMI Park to face the struggling Central Coast Mariners. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 5:00 (AEDT).
When David Villa’s 10-game guest spell was abruptly cut short, concerns were legitimately raised that Melbourne City was little more than a convenient Antipodean outpost that could be tweaked and mishandled at will to benefit the club’s more prestigious sister clubs in Manchester City and New York City.
Yet as Villa departed, so did it seem the circus, as Melbourne City registered their first win under their rebranded moniker at Brisbane last week. It was no lucky break either, as the club displayed a far more effusive and united presence on the field than anything they had mustered when the champion Spaniard was on the books.
The challenge now for John van’t Schip is to convert favouritism into results against a Mariners side that have failed to score in their last two matches.
What would have pleased van’t Schip the most was his side’s willingness to pile forward against Brisbane, with both David Williams and Mate Dugandzic enjoying stellar outings thanks to the vision and prowess of Aaron Mooy in midfield. However, Mooy’s call-up to Socceroos duty is a possible blow for City’s hopes of a continued revival, and a big opportunity for the visitors to exploit.
The Mariners begin the first of three crucial games in the next seven days, including a rescheduled meeting with Western Sydney Wanderers at Parramatta on Wednesday. The Mariners’ ladder position though makes it difficult for Phil Moss to consider rotation as a key stratagem for the next week, as points are needed in the immediacy.
While representing a useful opportunity to climb up the ladder, failure to win any of these puts the Mariners in a position where a late season surge is required to make the finals and cement a stake for the title.
Of course, title talk is premature so early in a season, yet a team that lost its midfield linchpin in Michael McGlinchey has struggled to find fluency this season. Against an upbeat Melbourne City on the road, the challenge becomes even harder for Central Coast.
Having failed to score in their last two games, the Mariners will need a solid showing from forward Mitchell Duke, who is likely to be alone upfront following Matt Simon’s injury against Perth last weekend.
Despite Mooy’s absence, Melbourne City can feel confident about overcoming the out-of-form Mariners at home.
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