A League - Week 26 Review

Melbourne Victory travelled to Brisbane to use up their game in hand and play the first of two games in a week against Roar, the footballing gods smiled on them when they ran out 2-1 winners in front of over ten thousand spectators at Suncorp Stadium.

Luke Brattan came close to opening the scoring for the home team when he swung in free kick that took a slight deflection, stand in Victory keeper Lawrence Thomas readjusted his position to push away the effort and keep things all square. The away team came roaring back if you’ll pardon the pun two minutes later when Fahid Ben Khalfallah cut in from the left and played a square ball to Carl Valeri some 30 yards from goal and centrally positioned, the midfielder took a stride and rifled a lovely effort into the bottom right corner to open the scoring.

Just five minutes later Ex Roar striker Besart Berisha scored the second for Victory, Ben Khalfallah again came in from the left and dinked a beautiful ball over the Roar backline, Berisha controlled on his chest before volleying through the legs of Jamie Young from ten yards. In the thirtieth minute Kosta Barbarouses almost added a third when he drilled in an effort from twelve yards that Young managed to block away for a corner.

Two minutes into the second half Barbarouses came even closer when he shot across Young from eighteen yards, the ball bounced back from the base of the post into the grateful arms of the Roar custodian. Roar clawed a goal back in the fifty first minute, Andrija Kaluderovic made inroads into the left hand side of the box before pulling the ball back to Matt McKay to slot home from six yards. Victory saw out the game to put themselves in pole position to claim the league title with just two games to play.

Wellington Phoenix entertained Central Coast Mariners at the Westpac Stadium where the visitors came within an ace of pulling off an unlikely result going down 3-2 to a late, late deciding goal. Mariners edged ahead in the eleventh minute when Isaka Cernak slipped Nick Fitzgerald in behind the Nix defence to beat Glenn Moss at his near post.

Mariners added a second in the thirty fifth minute when Eddy Bosnar crashed a free kick through the Nix wall from twenty yards. Nix knew their diminishing hopes for a league title were on the line and needed a big second half comeback, but Nick Fitzgerald came close again for the visitors in the sixty third minute driving narrowly wide of the far post.

The first break in the clouds for Nix happened in the sixty fifth minute, Nathan Burns found Roly Bonevacia on the edge of the box, the Dutch playmaker passed the ball to the net with the class that he has exuded all season. Five minutes later Liam Reddy saved with his feet from Bonevacia as the home team sniffed their chance to get a second.

The second did arrive in the seventy ninth minute with Bonevacia again central to the action, he found Kenny Cunningham who coolly controlled on his chest before slotting home. Reddy again kept Mariners in the game in the ninetieth minute saving at the feet of Burns sadly for him heartbreak was to follow shortly.

Five minutes into added time the combination of Bonevacia and Cunningham again proved crucial when the Dutchman played a ball across the Mariners backline on the edge of the box, Cunningham swept the ball home from eighteen yards to spark delirious scenes Westpac Stadium.

Hunter Stadium was next up where Newcastle Jets played host to Sydney FC with the Sky Blues knowing that a win was the least they required to put pressure on Melbourne Victory. The visitors headed away with all three points coming out on top of a seven goal thriller.

Golden boot contender Marc Janko could have had a hat trick for Sydney within the first thirty six minutes but failed to hit the target with three very presentable chances. The Jets meanwhile had a single chance and scored through Enver Alivodic in the twenty first minute. Edson Montano took possession with his back to goal carried the ball toward the half way line to give himself room to turn and then lifted a beautifully weighted ball into the inside right channel for Alivodic to run onto, he drew Vedran Janjetovic and chipped home from twelve yards.

Chris Naumoff was next to threaten in the thirty eighth minute for the Sky Blues but saw his effort from twenty yards beaten away by Ben Kennedy in the Jets goal. Just three minutes into the second half the visitors did manage to level matters, Rhyan Grant split the Jets backline with a glorious through ball to Alex Brosque who made no mistake.

Four minutes later Sydney went ahead, Bernie Ibini carried the ball from deep before unleashing a venomous strike from twenty five yards, Kennedy beat the ball out but Ibini followed his shot in to take control and neatly lift the ball home to the roof of the net at the near post. Things went from bad to worse for the Jets when Brosque netted his second on fifty six minutes.

Young left back Alex Gersbach was given acres of room down the wide left to measure his low near post cross, Brosque glanced home a lovely diving header across Kennedy and into the far corner from six yards. Jets clawed a goal back in the sixty seventh minute, Alivodic and Andrew Hoole played a one two on the edge of the box to set Hoole free in the inside right channel, his near post pull back was slightly behind Montano who dragged the ball back between the legs of the squatting figure of Janjetovic to scrape home over the line.

Newcastle got back to parity after seventy six minutes, Hoole being brought down by Gersbach, the winger took the spot kick himself and sent the Sky Blues keeper the wrong way to score with ease. Heartbreak was to follow for the home team when the visitors scored the winner in the four minutes later,  a sweeping right wing cross was headed back across goal by Shane Smeltz where the waiting Robert Stamboliev slid home. Jets hold the wooden spoon position while Sydney sit in second with just one match left to play before the finals.

The action rolled on to the Pirtek Stadium as Western Sydney Wanderers took on Adelaide United, all smiles for the home team at full time as they ran out 2-1 winners. Adelaide settled the better and came close to scoring in the twentieth minute, a right sided corner led to an arial challenge by Bruce Djite on the flapping Ante Covic in the home goal, the ball dropped to Osama Malik who tapped goalward only to see Mateo Polijak clear off the line.

Djite came close again in the thirty ninth minute, a Craig Goodwin corner from the left was headed low and back across Covic by the striker from six yards only to see Covic somehow drop a hand on the ball to prevent it getting over the line. The Reds pressure paid dividends on the stroke of half time, Tarek Elrich made good inroads on the right hand side of the box before pulling a ball back to the edge of the box in the direction of Djite, the ball was slightly behind its intended target but was met beautifully by Sergio Cirio to curl home from eighteen yards.

Mark Bridge got the home team back into the contest in the sixty third minute when he was brought down by Nigel Boogaard as he bore down on goal. The result was a penalty confidently despatched by Tomi Juric and a red card for Boogaard. Ten minutes later the home team went ahead through Bridge, a left wing cross from Yojiro Takahagi was helped on by Juric and fell beautifully for Bridge to slot home from eight yards. The win takes Wanderers off of the foot of the ladder and leaves Adelaide in fifth place.

Favourites for the title Melbourne Victory travelled to the Suncorp Stadium for the second time in four days to take on Brisbane Roar knowing that a victory would practically assure them of the title and so it proved with a controversial 1-0 win.

Arguably the best player in the league this season Fahid Ben Khalfallah was first to threaten in the third minute when he blasted narrowly over from twenty five yards. The home team came even closer in the eighteenth minute, Roar were awarded a free kick just outside the left hand corner of the box Dimitri Petratos touched it off to Steven Lustica who unleashed a curling dipping effort to strike the bar.

Ben Khallfallah called Jamie Young in the Roar net into action on twenty one minutes, he carried forward strongly in the outside left slot before shooting across Young who got finger tips to the effort to concede a corner. Roar struck the woodwork again in the twenty fifth minute, Jean Carlos Solarzano tried to cross from the right hand side of the box only to see the ball loop up off of Leigh Broxham sail over Lawrence Thomas in the Victory goal strike the inside of the far post and bounce to a clearing defender.

The controversial goal arrived in added time at the end of the first half, Ben Khalfallah slid Carl Valeri in on goal as he was about to shoot the merest of touches from behind by George Lambadaridis sent him sprawling. Mark Milligan took on the skippers responsibility and strode up to score the spot kick. The second half was a tame affair, Besart Berisha had a goal narrowly ruled out for offside in the seventieth minute and Petratos struck a firm drive into the midriff of Thomas in the fifth minute of added time at the end of the game as the Roar fruitlessly searched for a leveller.

So barring a highly unlikely combination of heavy defeat for Victory against Central Coast Mariners and a high scoring win for Sydney at Wellington the title is in the possession of Victory. Due to the financial shenanigans at Perth Glory Roar will qualify in last spot for the finals as they attempt to defend their champs title.

Speaking of Perth Glory they brought down the curtain on the weekends programme when they hosted Melbourne City at Nib Stadium, the home team finished an awful week for them with a 3-1 win. City were by far the better team in the opening half and the old adage about needing to take your chances was proven in the clearest terms in this game.

Harry Novillo had two good efforts saved by Danny Vukovic, David Williams wasted three good chances and Aaron Mooy blazed over the bar from close range when he should have done better. Toward the end of the half Glory began to show a little form and took the lead against the run of play in the forty second minute, Danny De Silva lifted a ball over the City rearguard for Jamie Maclaren to control and finish off of the inside of the far post from twelve yards. Before half time Paulo Retre collected a second yellow and was dismissed to give Glory a huge advantage.

To their credit City started the second term strongly and Novillo was again denied by a fine Vukovic save before City did manage to get the goal their promptings deserved. Aaron Mooy was presented with a free kick left of centre twenty yards from goal, the midfielder curled home a glorious right footed effort to get his team level in the fifty second minute.

Da Silva was central to Perth retaking the lead in the sixty fifth minute, he was sent through on goal and although Tando Velaphi saved bravely at his feet the loose ball ran to MacLaren to slot home from eight yards. The final goal arrived in the eighty fifth minute when Chris Harold was given time and space down the wide right to swing in a low centre to the six yard box, MacLaren let the ball run across him before side footing home left footed to seal victory.

What have we learned?

It looks like the Premier’s Plate will be taken by Melbourne Victory, the real interest will lay in Wellington where Phoenix and Sydney slug it out for second spot and a bye through the first section of the finals. Perth of course will not be taking part after deciding not to appeal their dismissal from the finals and heavy fine.

Next A League fixtures

Brisbane Roar v Newcastle Jets

Western Sydney Wanderers v Perth Glory

Adelaide United  v Melbourne City

Wellington Phoenix v Sydney FC

Melbourne Victory  v Central Coast Mariners