Geelong’s second A-League match produced an incredible 3-3 draw between Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Victory.
The second instalment of the now-once-annual venture down to the town known as the sleepy hollow in Victoria’s southwest can be marked down as a success.
On the field, a contest you could not take your eyes off, particularly the second stanza.
Off-field matters, as they should always be, were smooth. Let’s start by having a look at this.
The A-League’s first ever Geelong road trip was a nightmare in most aspects. Logistically, just about everything went wrong at Simonds Stadium as the Victory hosted Perth Glory on 2 January 2015.
The stadium was simply understaffed with basic services and needs – or in most cases, wants – lacking. ATMs did not work and waiting times to buy a humble beer were as high as the temperature that day, up around 40 degrees/minutes. Worst of all, somehow, ticketholders could not scan in and/or out. It seemed all concerned stakeholders underestimated the crowd that would show up, a figure estimated at close to 22,000.
In anyone’s book, that was a positive result despite all the issues.
Friday’s turnout, despite being lower at 14,000, was another success. The chaotic nature of last season’s fixture in the coastal town left a sour taste in the mouths of plenty of supporters who made the journey down the Princes Freeway and understandably so.
Crucially, those issues stadium management faced in 2015 did not resurface, with no such problems reported this time around. In that sense, Simonds Stadium gets a pass mark after failing its initial test.
Above all, A-League and Victory in Geelong is a product that can prosper. The ground itself is a reasonable place to watch football. It is a long but narrow field so there is plenty of space between the advertising hoardings and the supporters behind either goal, but both flanks are closer to the action than at Docklands.
Besides which, who doesn’t enjoy an ‘away’ day? Football travels, whether it be overseas, interstate or a lengthy drive or train trip within your own state, bring a buzz about them.
How about the play? Coulda, shoulda, woulda.
The punters who did travel from Melbourne, and a few from Gosford for what was technically a Mariners home game, were rewarded with an outrageous 90 minutes of football that few would have predicted that, in the end, had plenty of ‘what if’ about it.
Lightning struck twice for Central Coast, dropping a 3-0 lead against Melbourne Victory for the second time in A-League history.
Well, those Victory fans more than likely did not go home overly pleased. How should they react? Relief? Frustration? Probably both.
Yes, Victory were 3-0 down.
Yes, they drew level at the death and it did take some nous to restore parity.
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As good as the Mariners were in the opening period, Victory dug themselves into the hole and, in the end, the focus should be on how they got there in the first place rather than how or what brought them to life.
Tony Walmsley’s side wreaked the rewards of pressing on a cool night in Geelong as well as setting up with a high line in defence. That forced Victory into a number of errors in midfield and the Mariners opened them up with incisive attacking play.
Victory appeared stale and highly predictable in a 45 minutes that put a bold exclamation mark on their well publicised form slump that has seen them claim just one win in their past six matches. They appeared down and out after Mitch Austin’s coolly finished third in the 35th minute; heads bowed with confidence in tatters, in crisis mode.
The second half could not have been a greater contrast to the first and highlighted the importance of an attribute Kevin Muscat and Victory are often accused of lacking: tactical flexibility.
Archie Thompson’s introduction just after the hour-mark, when Besart Berisha netted their first, came at an excellent time, giving Victory a pace injection. Thompson offered something different to the departed Gui Finkler, very much playing as a second striker.
That is becoming something of a go-to tactic for Muscat. The fit again talisman played behind Berisha in Victory’s 1-1 draw with Perth a fortnight earlier. On this occasion, the move reaped rewards with Thompson scoring and making some trademark runs in behind.
But could Kevin Muscat have done more to win the game? In the end, his team probably should have taken all three points after two guilt-edged opportunities went begging, so that may sound harsh.
Victory were right on top in the final stanza though and the Mariners’ backs were against the wall. It is all well and good to throw caution to wind. But Victory were in a position to snatch points yet were behind. What was there to lose? Victory had enough defensive quality (on paper) on the pitch to make an attacking shift and play three in defence with the full-backs further up the pitch.
Still, the 3-3 scoreline – fraught with mixed emotions – goes down as one of the most memorable in the A-League’s 11-year existence, all in front of a terrific crowd in Victoria’s second city, a place where football has a future.
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