Melbourne Victory secured their path to the FFA Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 win over Bentleigh Greens at Kingston Health last night.
It took until the 64th minute for Marco Rojas to break through the resilient home defence. James Troisi quickly added a second to secure the result for the Victory, in what was a closely fought contest for the first hour of play.
Bentleigh Greens
Ryan Scott – 7.5: Made some strong saves and was excellent by foot to assist his team’s build-up play.
Josh Brindell-South – 6.5: The former Wellington Phoenix defender was pacy and energetic to contain his opponent.
Jack Webster – 6.5: the classy central-defender was calm both on the ball and in his tackles. Smart.
Ross Archibald – 5.5: Fired up late in the first half and he kept his composure while on a yellow card.
Dion Kirk – 6: The diminutive left-back was fast and tenacious in his approach. Provided good overlapping runs for his side.
Luke Pilkington – 6: Had an early chance fly over the bar, was effective in midfield before being substituted. Ball winner.
Kieran Dover – 5.5: Pressed well from right-midfield forcing turnovers, yet lacked an edge on the ball himself.
Tory Ruthven – 6.5: Played the defensive role well with his combative approach and pin-point passing.
Tyson Holmes – 6: Filled the more advanced role in midfield, saw a decent opportunity blocked while linking well with Thurtell.
Ryan Paczkowski – 5.5: Kept quiet by the imposing Jason Geria, but worked hard defensively for his team.
Matt Thurtell – 6: With limited service the striker played his role as he brought his teammates into the attack by holding up the play.
Substitutes
Kamal Ibrahim – 5: Able to put passes together, but his team were firmly on the backfoot in the final minutes which limited his opportunities.
Liam McCormick – 5: Tried to force the issue off the bench and drive his team forward.
John Maclean – 5: Came on to pressure the Victory defense as a second striker, but could not influence the contest.
Melbourne Victory
Lawrence Thomas – 6: Looked weak in some aerial contests, but was largely untroubled on the night.
Jason Geria – 7.5: The composed defender was explosive down the right-hand side and showed his class.
James Donachie – 6: Had a few doubtful moments yet faced few challenges.
Alan Baro – 6.5: Has the ability to maintain and recycle possession while providing a threat from set pieces, set to be a real asset for the Victory.
Leigh Broxham – 6: The ultimate utility player slotted into the left-back role to provide defensive stability on the night.
Carl Valeri (C) – 7: Is the pivot of his side, launching attacks and recycling possession with ease. Critical to his team’s style of play. .
Oliver Bozanic – 7: Had a major influence on proceedings with his well-weighted passing causing issues throughout the match. Stylish.
James Troisi – 7: Looking close to full fitness with sharp passing and turns throughout the match. Was highly involved in Victory’s possession play.
Marco Rojas – 8: A constant threat on the night with his quick movement on and off the ball paving the way for his side’s victory. Looks set to make a real impact on his return to Australia.
Mitchell Austin – 6: Looked to use the pace to his advantage but was subdued on the left-side. Subbed after 75 minutes.
Besart Berisha – 6: Brought his bustling attitude to the contest in a fiery collision with the goalkeeper. Nearly scored late on in the contest.
Substitutes
Daniel Georgievski – 5: Came on after Geria picked up an ankle knock. Looked to get heavily involved in the play as his side searched for a third goal.
Fahid Ben Khalfallah – 5: Replaced Austin and had a single shot from long range, will be fighting for a starting spot in a few weeks time.
Nick Ansell – N/A: Last minute substitute to sure up the defence.
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