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Melbourne City have snatched a dramatic 1-0 win in the Victorian derby with a late Erik Paartalu header.
After ninety minutes of a most unlikely stalemate, it was City who found a way through to upset A-League title favourites Victory to ensure Melbourne bragging rights.
In the last minute of the match, Paartalu was the goalscoring hero, thundering home a header from Mate Dugandzic’s cross.
The win was as much as City deserved after taking it to their more credentialled rivals.
The late winner put City into the A-League top six once more, and should end calls for the removal of coach John van ‘t Schip.
City fielded an all Australian starting XI, keeping marquee Robert Koren on ice for the second half.
While van ‘t Schip’s side started the stronger, they committed football’s cardinal sin of not converting time in control into goals.
Jacob Melling impressed early and Aaron Mooy was industrious but lacked quality with set pieces.
Without the suspended Mark Milligan, Victory’s midfield was dysfunctional, with Carl Valeri particularly error-strewn.
The trick of playing Archie Thompson as a No.10 wasn’t producing the same magic as a week prior, when he scored a hat-trick against Sydney FC.
Thompson showed his goalscoring touch was gone when he skied a ricocheting ball over on 32 minutes.
Despite taking a heavy blow from Jason Geria to his body, City’s Ben Garuccio was providing a fine outlet down the left.
His cut-backs for Melling and Iain Ramsay were as close as City came in the first half, but neither shot had the conviction to beat Nathan Coe.
Victory were close to a first half stoppage time stunner when the otherwise quiet Besart Berisha volleyed strongly from a corner, only to find the diving Tando Velaphi in his way.
After the break, the match’s major flashpoint arrived on 55 minutes when Melling’s stray elbow on Leigh Broxham brought about a brawl – and a yellow card for Melling and Fahid Ben Khalfallah.
Shortly after, it was Melling who made way for Koren as Thompson withdrew for Finkler.
The battlelines were drawn again, but still the sides drew blanks.
Khalfallah thought he had an opener on 73 minutes but was ruled offside following Leigh Broxham and Berisha’s saved shots.
Patrick Kisnorbo missed with head and foot within a couple of minutes of each other shortly after.
Finkler, famed for his free kick prowess, had a chance from a set piece but found only the impressive Velaphi.
As both sets of fans prepared to share the spoils, at the last, Paartalu was able to find away from Dugandzic’s fine cross.
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