Footy bounce back strikes chord for Melbourne Victory

Six days is a long time in football and a small glimmer of light in a dark season for the Melbourne Victory may have finally emerged.

Melbourne’s Rudy Gestede shoots for goal at Marvel Stadium. Picture: Getty Images.

Six days is a long time in football and a small glimmer of light in a dark season for the Melbourne Victory may have finally emerged.

Victory looked re-energised under interim-boss Steve Kean, but had to survive a late scare from Western Sydney to come away with a 5-4 win at Marvel Stadium.

Ben Folami was at the double while Storm Roux, Dylan Ryan and Jacob Butterfield rounded out the scorers.

A late hat-trick of goals from Graham Dorrans, Mitch Duke and Nicolai Muller almost got the Wanderers back into the game but ultimately they fell short, succumbing to their sixth straight game without a win.

The win gets Victory off the foot of the table after a dark week for the club which saw them not only lose the Derby 7-0 but saw coach Grant Brebner removed as coach.

Kean said the result was all about getting “the three points” as his side bounced back from last week’s humiliating Derby defeat.

“I think if you said before the game that we would win, you’d take it,” Kean told the media post-game.

Kean made it clear that players were playing for their futures at the club and with Tony Popovic confirmed as the one who will be making those decisions — the bounce back was evident as they sought to impress the new manager.

However, Kean said his side gave up too much territory and allowed the Wanderers to get back into the game and create a nervy finish for the home-side.

“Certainly the learning aspect is how to manage the game,” Kean said.

A Robbie Kruse exchange of passes with Callum McManaman saw the Socceroo break in behind the Wanderers defence, teeing up Folami to slam home the opener.

Victory soon had an unlikely two-goal barrier as Brimmer’s corner found an unmarked Roux to nod home the second.

The two-goal lead would only last a matter of moments as Bruce Kamau found James Troisi on the edge of the area to fire one back for the Wanderers.

On the brink of halftime, Western Sydney were made to pay from a corner yet again as Ziggy Gordon’s slip allowed for Folami to wriggle free and volley in his second.

Despite Western Sydney’s best efforts to find an avenue back into the game, the resistance was quickly squashed as Melbourne put the game to bed in a crazy sixty second-patch.

Folami was brought down inside the area leading to Brimmer stepping up and having his penalty tipped around the post by Daniel Margush but Brimmer’s ensuing corner was turned home by Ryan.

Butterfield saved the best for last firing a bullet from range to make it five before a nervous finale which saw Dorrans, Duke and Muller all fire in a 12-minute burst for the Wanderers.

Western Sydney’s finals chances are slipping away by the second as they’ve now gone six without a win.

The Wanderers looked far from a side competing for a spot in the six, looking at sea defensively especially from set pieces.

The loss places them precariously above Western United, Brisbane Roar and the Wellington Phoenix who are all nipping at the heels of Carl Robinson’s struggling outfit.

“Defensively, we weren’t good enough, we lost our battles and from the moment we conceded the first goal which is probably from their first attack — one or two heads dropped which is not very good,” Robinson said

Despite only just being a point clear of Western United who have three games in hand on the Wanderers and both the Brisbane Roar and Wellington Phoenix just trailing behind, Robinson still believes his side can end their three-season finals drought.

“I’ve got full belief in this team,” Robinson said.

NCA newswire