Clisby endures night to forget at the hands of Georgievski and Barbarouses
Though expected first choice left-back Michael Zullo made his debut for Melbourne City, he was asked to play on the left-wing by John van ’t Schip which saw Jack Clisby retain his spot in the starting XI. Clisby, particularly in the first half, was exploited by the duo of Daniel Georgievski and Kosta Barbarouses. Georgievski relished the opportunity to pick up the ball from deep and surge into City’s half, leaving Clisby unsure whether to track him or stick to Barbarouses, who himself was causing problems with his pace and trickery. Clisby was beaten one-on-one too many times and was beaten by the diminutive Barbarouses in the air for Victory’s second goal. With Zullo going down to an injury and being subbed off at half time, van ’t Schip is short on options if he wishes to try an alternative to the former Perth Glory left-back.
Berisha steals the show – again
Never far from the action, firebrand frontman Besart Berisha would have been ruing a miss against Adelaide United the week beforehand, but in the A-League’s marquee match he more than made up for it, netting the winner in the 90th minute for the Victory. Berisha was irate when he went down under the challenge of Patrick Kisnorbo and was not rewarded with a spot kick minutes earlier, but put aside that controversy to net a textbook poacher’s goal, seizing on Thomas Sorensen’s parry to give Victory the derby spoils. It is clear that Berisha is still every bit the deadly number nine A-League defences have grown to fear and he will be key to Victory’s hopes of going back-to-back.
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