A-League 2015-16: Melbourne City beat Wellington Phoenix 3-1 at AAMI Park
IT’S taken 15 games and 31 minutes for Melbourne City to achieve a feat they could only crack in 27 at best.
IT’S taken 15 games and 31 minutes for Melbourne City to achieve a feat they could only crack in 27 at best.
City’s season record goal return in five seasons had been 38, but today their tally sits at 40 which 11 regular season games left, after dismantling Wellington Phoenix 3-1.
And the success is no small part due to Bruno Fornaroli, who’s taken 16 games to not only break David Williams’ record season tally of 12 but do what no other City player has done and score against every team in a season, becoming the quickest to do so in A-League history.
Fornaroli’s strike partner in crime Harry Novillo scored a brace as the pair put on a show for the 10,825 crowd, though Roly Bonevacia joined the highlights reel with a 30 metre scorcher for Phoenix.
City’s mid-season overhaul caught the video production team off guard as an image of the old No 27 (Callum Richardson) was displayed instead of Nick Fitzgerald, but he and last week’s other two signings made City debuts.
Anthony Caceres replaced Jacob Melling in midfield, with the latter deployed in a back three with Jack Clisby suspended, and he had a reasonable debut before he was replaced by Osama Malik on 69 minutes, who already appears to be a crowd favourite.
Not noted for his defending, Caceres’ workrate was impressive but his footwork just outside the box ahead of Novillo’s second was the highlight.
With Ivan Franjic back in the XI and Michael Zullo nearing full fitness, City’s 3-5-2 formation appears to be worth persisting with as the team looked balanced and in control from kick-off.
It took Zullo, who had his best game for City, five minutes to produce a top fingertip save from Glen Moss before Fornaroli produced a vintage finish.
He got the ball on the left and sucked Manny Muscat in before cutting inside and curling it past the keeper from just inside the box.
Fornaroli and Novillo had the ball on a string for most of the half and the Uruguayan just missed after the latter’s zipping 22nd minute cross — there was a carbon copy in the second half too.
Not to be outdone, Novillo produced a neat volley to double City’s lead on 31 minutes after Zullo’s teasing cross.
Despite missing top scorer Roy Krishna, Wellington’s Albert Riera, Andrew Durante and Bonevacia all tested City keeper Thomas Sorensen who remained resolute.
Novillo made it 3-0 just four minutes after the restart, blasting home from just inside the box after Aaron Mooy’s timely release just after Caceres’ handy work.
Fornaroli, who had an epic, physical duel with captain Durante all night, missed a chance and Bonevacia unleashed a rocket with 24 minutes left to add respectability to the scoreboard.
In the end the scoreline was a fair reflection, with City finals-bound and toothless Phoenix (16 points) sitting seven points adrift of sixth-placed Adelaide United.
Originally published as A-League 2015-16: Melbourne City beat Wellington Phoenix 3-1 at AAMI Park
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