Sydney beat Melbourne Victory 3-0 following controversial red card in A-League round 10

A controversial red card overshadows a Sydney win, Auckland FC produces first-half goal frenzy while Kosta Barbarouses scores one of the greatest goals in A-League history on a dramatic day.

Sydney FC has stayed in touch with the A-League Men’s top six after two goals from Joe Lolley helped the Sky Blues to a controversial 3-0 win over the Melbourne Victory on Saturday night.

Sydney-Melbourne derbies are renowned for their flashpoint moments, and this was no different, with a contentious red card to Victory midfielder Zinédine Machach giving the Sky Blues a significant leg-up at Allianz Stadium.

Machach was marched in the 16th minute of play after an alleged studs-up tackle on Sydney FC defender Jordan Courtney-Perkins. Referee Adam Kersey had initially shown Machach a yellow card for the challenge but opted for a straight red after an intervention from VAR.

Zinedine Machach is shown a red card during his side’s clash with Sydney FC. Picture: Getty Images

While television pundits Alex Brosque and Archie Thompson claimed the red card wasn’t warranted, Football Australia’s Head of Referees, Jon Moss, backed Kersey’s decision.

“The foot of the Victory player went over the ball . . . [and] made contact above the ankle,” Moss said.

“Upon review . . . it was deemed serious foul play.”

While not necessarily agreeing with the decision, interim Victory manager Arthur Dillies was diplomatic in his assessment of the situation.

“It happens quick, so you just see what you see on the big screen,” Dillies said.

“I thought he [Machach] got to the ball first . . . [but] it happens.

“It’s football, they make a call, we live it, we move on with it.”

Sydney FC led 1-0 when Machach was dismissed and never looked threatened from that point on. Lolley’s second goal gave them a 2-0 lead at half-time, while Jaiden Kucharski put the cream on the cake in the 87th minute.

The Sky Blues now sit in seventh spot on the A-League ladder with 13 competition points, one point behind crosstown rivals Western Sydney.

The win may have come at a cost, though, with Brazilian superstar Douglas Costa replaced in the 47th minute after appearing to pick up a hamstring injury.

Lolley Thrives in Unfamiliar Position

With a groin strain keeping regular striker Patryk Klimala out for a second-straight game, Sydney manager Ufuk Talay opted to push Lolley further forward than his usual wing position against the Victory. The Englishman certainly rose to the challenge, scoring twice in the opening 25 minutes.

“Good players adapt to any position on the field,” Talay said post-match.

“We worked on what his role would be during the week and I think he executed it quite well.”

Joe Lolley of Sydney FC scored twice against Melbourne. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

Lolley’s first goal came after just 90 seconds when he tucked away a Courtney-Perkins cross that had ricocheted off Roderick Miranda. His second goal was even more impressive, with the former Nottingham Forest man calmly nodding a sublime aerial ball from Costa into the Victory net.

Lolley thought he’d completed a first-half hattrick when he hammered home a low ball from captain Rhyan Grant in the 43rd minute. However, this was struck off by VAR, which ruled the Sydney skipper had been offside in the build-up. Lolley likewise hit the post in the lead-up to Kucharski’s goal.

The Cost(a) of Victory

After a slow start to the season, Douglas Costa was finally starting to live up to his rockstar billing. The former Juventus and Bayern Munich star scored his first two A-League goals last weekend against Adelaide, and he had been causing plenty of havoc against the undermanned Victory on Saturday night before limping from the field two minutes into the second half. Talay will be praying that his marquee man will not be missing for an extended period.

“He felt his hamstring tighten up and he didn’t want to continue . . . I think he made a good decision,” Talay said.

“We’ll get an MRI to assess it and go from there.”

Costa was forced to withdraw from Sydney’s match against Auckland in November after injuring a hamstring against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, but Talay insisted that the latest incident wasn’t a recurrence of the initial injury.

“It’s a different type of hamstring injury . . . it’s a little bit lower,” the coach said.

“But I can’t say anything at the moment, because we don’t know the full extent of it.”

Diles Proud In Defeat

Despite the loss, Diles claimed he was proud of his team, particularly during the second half.

“It was a tale of two halves, really,” he said.

“In the first half we didn’t start great, conceding early, and then we got the red card.

“We adjusted some things at half-time . . . and I think we were excellent in the second half.

“The group just showed incredible resilience. They fought hard, they showed courage and they got [back] into the game.”

“This group has a lot of character . . . we finished the game quite strongly and were unfortunate to cop one [another goal] at the end there.”

FIRST HALF FRENZY KEEPS AUCKLAND AT THE TOP OF A-LEAGUE LADDER

- Tom Boswell

Auckland FC has produced a first half goal frenzy to ensure its position as A-League leaders goes unchallenged for another week.

The New Zealand side beat the Central Coast Mariners 4-1 on Saturday at Industree Group Stadium, a week after losing its first game of the season.

Hiroki Sakai opened the club’s account in the 13th minute with the his maiden goal for Auckland before Mariners player Alfie McCalmont slotted his first for his side two minutes later with a stunning volley.

Auckland FC players celebrate their win over Central Coast Mariners. Picture: Scott Gardiner

Jake Brimmer (31st minute) and Guillermo May (39th minute) both added their names to the scoresheet to give Auckland a two-goal buffer going into halftime before Logan Rogerson put the game well beyond doubt in the 84th minute.

BARBAROUSES WONDER GOAL ENDS PHOENIX A-LEAGUE DROUGHT

- Tom Boswell

Kosta Barbarouses has scored one of the greatest goals in A-League history to help end Wellington’s three-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over Newcastle.

It was just two-minutes into the round 10 clash at Sky Stadium on Saturday when Barbarouses intercepted a pass from the Jets before unleashing a scintillating strike from inside the centre circle that sailed beyond Newcastle keeper Ryan Scott and hit the back of the net on the full.

Barbarouses now has 99 A-League goals to his name and his efforts and ensured the Phoenix took a 1-0 lead into halftime despite the opening stanza being largely dominated by Newcastle.

Paulo Retre doubled Wellington’s lead in the 59th minute courtesy of his maiden goal for the club before Ben Gibson brought the game back to life in the 73rd minute by scoring for the Jets.

Originally published as Sydney beat Melbourne Victory 3-0 following controversial red card in A-League round 10