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Melbourne Victory coach Ernie Merrick says signing a new striker remains a top priority despite a brilliant performance from youngster Mate Dugandzic in their A-League draw with Sydney FC.
Dugandzic was instrumental in the Victory’s remarkable comeback at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday night, scoring once and setting up another as the visitors came from 2-0 down in the grand final rematch that eventually finished 3-3.
The opening-round performance went some way to answering questions about Melbourne’s ability to score goals without injured striker Archie Thompson (knee), while fellow striker Robbie Kruse (hamstring) was also missing.
But Merrick said the club was still planning to sign a genuine frontman to cover for the loss of Thompson, who will be out of action until at least November.
“It doesn’t change anything,” Merrick said.
“We’ve always said that we need to get a quality, ready-made striker up front and you can’t go through the season without another striker, we certainly can’t.
“So we’ll fix that but we have to make sure we’re diligent and patient so we get the right person.
“The worst thing we could do is sign the wrong type of player, but we’re getting close.”
Dugandzic’s pace and skill caused Sydney plenty of problems and he was the main architect as Melbourne launched a stunning second-half comeback against the run of play with three goals in seven minutes.
Usually a winger, the 20-year-old burst onto the scene when he scored a double on his starting debut against Adelaide in October last season but admits he struggled to deal with the hype that followed.
But enjoying the chance to play up front and sensing an opportunity in the absence of Thompson, Dugandzic is hoping to make the 2010/11 season a breakthrough year in his promising career.
“Last year was a bit up and down I suppose,” Dugandzic said.
“After the Adelaide game I found it probably a bit difficult to cope.
“… I probably put a little bit of pressure on myself, that was the main issue, then after that I suppose my training performances weren’t fantastic.
“I knew during this off-season that something had to change.
“Now I’ve had a good pre-season under my belt, I hope this is my season and hopefully I can continue my form.”
Dugandzic shared striking duties with Carlos Hernandez on Saturday night but the latter was kept to a quiet performance by his own brilliant standards.
Merrick said the 2009/10 Johnny Warren medalist was working his way back from an injury suffered in the off-season while playing for Costa Rica.
“He’s coming on really well now … I think he’s just a couple of weeks away from being at peak fitness,” Merrick said.
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