A-League round 2, news, results: Adelaide, Mariners, in stalemate
A devastating opening 25 minutes from the Victory has helped them register a comfortable victory over arch rivals City, with a shocking goalkeeper error gifting Ryan Teague his second goal of the season. Watch it here.
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A devastating opening 25 minutes from the Victory has helped them register a comfortable 3-1 victory over arch rivals City in the 45th A-League Men’s Melbourne derby at AAMI Park.
Nishan Velupillay got Victory off to the perfect start in the fifth minute as he fought off Aziz Behich with strength and from the right, he classily eased the ball past City goalkeeper Patrick Beach diving to his right and into the bottom corner with a beautiful finish from 12 yards out. The opportunity was set up by a lovely Nikolaos Vergos through ball.
Seven minutes later, Vergos turned from provider to scorer when Reno Piscopo went on a brilliant run down the left, outmuscled Kai Trewin, cut it back from the byline and teed it up to Vergos who tucked it away into the bottom left corner from close range, giving Beach no chance.
And Beach’s night went from bad to worse in the 25th minute when he took way too long to dispatch of the ball.
Relentless from Teaguey to score our third ðŸ˜#MelbDerbypic.twitter.com/wRnWGu56bC
— Melbourne Victory (@gomvfc) October 26, 2024
His first touch was horrible and opened the door for Ryan Teague to charge towards the City goalkeeper, and Beach succumbed to the pressure as his kick went straight into Teague’s leg and ricocheted into the net to make it 3-0.
City captain Aziz Behich was lucky not sent off after cameras appeared to show him stamping on an opponent as the half went from bad to worse for a shell-shocked City.
Behich thought he was slick slipping this little stamp in… and he was, no VAR card lol #MCYvMVCpic.twitter.com/KhL1gXglxd
— Evan Morgan Grahame (@Evan_M_G) October 26, 2024
NABBOUT GETS ONE BACK
After being overwhelmed in the opening half hour, City recovered and wrested the momentum from their rivals. Their efforts were rewarded in the 64th minute when Andrew Nabbout tapped it in for an easy goal after Yonatan Cohen had a crack from 25 yards out, which Victory goalkeeper Jack Duncan saved. But all he could do was put it on a platter for Nabbout.
City actually finished the game level with Victory on total shots (15-15) and with a possession domination (59 per cent), but their lethargic start to the game ultimately separated the two sides.
The result saw Patrick Kisnorbo get his first win as Victory coach and extended his new club’s unbeaten run against City to six league games which is a record stretch by either club in this rivalry.
VICTORY DENIED A FOURTH
City’s intensity was non-existent to start the match and they were 2-0 down before they knew it. In the 20th minute, it looked like they conceded another goal when Victory midfielder Zinedine Machach’s attempt from the edge of the box took a wild deflection from Samuel Souprayen and it left Beach completely wrong-footed and scampering in vain to keep it out of the net.
It was ultimately disallowed after the VAR deemed the ball also came off Ryan Teague’s hand, but it turned out to be only a temporary reprieve for City as Teague made it 3-0 five minutes later.
CITY RESPOND, BUT TO NO AVAIL
City finished the first period stronger with the last three shots at goal, the best of which came in added time when Callum Talbot unloaded from outside the box and elicited a super save from Duncan who flew up and tipped it over the bar.
Duncan was also called into action in the 18th minute when he denied City’s first meaningful chance that saw Marco Tilio unleash a wicked attempt from the left side of the box which forced an athletic finger-tip save from Duncan.
The follow-up corner from Cohen gave Duncan another nervy moment as it swung into the right post.
The momentum stayed with City after the break and shortly after they scored, they almost got another goal when Cohen whipped it into a dangerous area and found Steven Ugarkovic who got another touch that was intended for Nabbout in the six-yard box, but luckily for Victory, Joshua Rawlins was there to clear the danger.
In the second minute of stoppage time, City had one last crack at making it an interesting finish when Ugarkovic crossed it to Arion Sulemani who had a ping from point-blank range, but Duncan produced a magnificent reflex save diving low to his left.
‘We should’ve scored more’: Adelaide laments stalemate
by Val Migliaccio
Adelaide United’s 20th A-League season got off to an erratic start at Coopers Stadium on Saturday.
After battering the Central Coast Mariners in a dominant first-half performance the Australian reigning champion came back strongly to deservedly share the points in a 1-1 draw.
Adelaide’s Luka Jovanovic opened the score 10 minutes in the first half before ex-Heidelberg United attacker Sabit Ngor equalised in the 62nd minute for the visitors.
Jovanovic’s opening goal of the new season was scrappy.
However, the Young Socceroos striker was persistent.
After his first effort was blocked, Jovanovic wouldn’t give up ensuring the ball eventually crossed the line after several ricochets across the six-yard box following Zach Clough’s initial attempt at goal.
“After a brilliant first half we should have scored more goals, we played well,’’ Clough told Paramount +.
“But credit to the Mariners they changed the shape in the second half and came back at us, and I think both sides would be happy with a point.”
Adelaide was in total command in a solid first-half performance led by veteran Isaias, 37, from the heart of defence.
Austin Ayoubi was a handful for the Mariners’ defence from the wing while Clough and Stefan Mauk could have added to the score in the opening 45 minutes.
Coach Mark Jackson’s side appeared to be re-energised immediately after the break forcing Adelaide on the back foot after the Mariners boss tweaked his formation.
Ryan Edmondson sounded a warning when his goal was chalked off for offside seconds before Ngor who entered the fray for the start of the second half equalised.
A long ball from Mariners’ skipper Brian Kaltak to Edmondson did all the damage when Isaias was isolated on the edge of the box.
Edmondson outmuscled the veteran, he had a strong shot on target which was parried by Reds’ goalkeeper James Delianov.
Mariners’ Vitor Feijao was first to react to the loose ball.
He headed the ball goalwards again before Ngor tucked the ball home after Adelaide’s defence line had been torn to shreds.
JET LAG
The Mariners had a legitimate excuse for a performance which at times lacked early-season energy.
The reigning A-League champion – since its opening round scoreless draw with Melbourne Victory nine days ago - travelled more than 16,000km.
Before meeting the Reds, they spent about 23 hours in the air after an opening AFC Champions League Elite 3-2 away loss to Kevin Muscat’s Shanghai Port last Tuesday.
REDS ON A SHOESTRING
After Adelaide coach Carl Veart on Friday said the expectations of club’s season need to be in line with the tight-fisted budget, Dylan Pierias, 24, was the only new face to the Reds’ starting line-up.
The former Western Sydney Wanderer joined Adelaide in the off-season.
Ben Folami, 25, (ex-Melbourne Victory) and Archie Goodwin, 19, (ex-Newcastle Jets) were on the bench while former Sparta Rotterdam defender Bart Vriends, 33, and returning Red, Jordan Elsey, 30, wasn’t in the 18-man squad.
Another off-season signing, Dutchman Julian Kwaaitaalw, 19, was immediately loaned out to Dutch club Eindhoven in August.
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