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Melbourne Victory star striker Archie Thompson has scored the winner for his side for the second straight match as they notched a 2-1 A-League Victory over Central Coast Mariners at Telstra Dome.
The Mariners came into the game in second place and would have overtaken the Victory at the top of the ladder had they won, with the home side instead extending their lead with their third straight win.
In an entertaining and physical game, Thompson broke a 1-1 halftime deadlock when he scored in the 60th minute.
He calmly slotted the ball past `keeper Danny Vukovic after a well timed run to link up with a Billy Celeski through-ball.
It followed his second half header which gave Victory their only goal in last round’s 1-0 win over Queensland Roar.
But Central Coast were unlucky not to have taken the lead nine minutes earlier.
Mariners striker Dylan Macallister sent a left-footer into the back of the net, capitalising on a well-weighted Adrian Caceres pass, but was deemed offside in what a replay showed was an incorrect call.
Earlier, Melbourne looked by far the more dangerous side early as Central Coast gave away a string of free kicks in the opening 10 minutes.
Vukovic did well to punch away an accurate Celeski free kick in the second minute and even better to charge down an approaching Thompson in the 16th, after Danny Allsopp had found him unmarked.
But the game changed complexion midway through the half, as the Mariners settled and began to severely test the home side’s defence.
Macallister narrowly missed a good chance to open the scoring in the 30th minute when he got his foot onto a bouncing long ball, knocking it over the head of advancing `keeper Michael Theoklitos but centimetres wide of the left post.
Three minutes later, Central Coast opened their account in almost accidental fashion.
John Hutchinson took a free kick from about 35m out, intending to put it into the box to allow a teammate to latch onto a header, but it went through untouched as an advancing Theoklitos misjudged it and watched the ball bounce into the net.
The Victory levelled four minutes later, Tom Pondeljak scoring with a stylish volley, after a nice touch from Thompson.
Victory coach Ernie Merrick was impressed with his side’s second half, after the Mariners had threatened to take control late in the first.
“They really pressed hard and they’re a tough team to play against, the Mariners, and they could have got something from one of their many corner kicks,” Merrick said.
“But in the second half we made a point of making sure we played football in their half … I think we completely dominated the second half.”
Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna believed his side was unlucky not to take at least a point away, particularly given the controversial off-side call against Macallister.
“We saw the replay on TV and it’s obviously a goal, but these decisions just hopefully over the season you hope they balance out,” McKinna said.
“But that time 10 minutes into the second half we were still going well and (a goal) puts you in a great position.
“Melbourne (would) have (had) to open up and come at you then and you get the chance to catch them on the break, we never had that opportunity.”
But he conceded his side was outplayed after Thompson’s decider.
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