Melbourne City moved to the top of the A-League ladder with a 3-1 win over Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park on Friday.
Dimitri Petratos opened the scoring with a spectacular volley in the first half. A red card to Jack Hingert following a second yellow earned in the concession of a penalty gave City the advantage as Mooy equalised from the spot.
From there, City pressed their advantage and took the three points thanks to headers from Anthony Caceres and Nick Fitzgerald in the final 10 minutes. Brisbane, meanwhile, will go to third after the Wanderers vs Adelaide game tomorrow.
READ MORE: How Twitter reacted to Melbourne City’s 3-1 win over Brisbane Roar
City heavy hitters
A wet and windy night in Melbourne caused the City team to channel their inner Stoke early on with some heavy challenges as they decided the best way to goal was through a Roar player. Patrick Kisnorbo made his presence felt with some forceful hits on his opponents while Ivan Franjic went after Thomas Broich like he had pulled a John Terry. Of course it was an effective tactic as it helped City take control of a game they were in charge of from the start. It even worked out for their benefit later on as Kris Giffiths-Jones started to clamp down which saw Hingert pick up his first yellow which was a borderline call.
Striking difference in influence
A hat-trick against one Melbourne side last week, a quiet night against the other side for Jamie Maclaren the next. He found himself closed down and limited to a minimal impact as the ball did not get to him in the right places. Meanwhile, Bruno Fornaroli had a good start and grew into the game more and more. Early on he was forced wide to get involved but eventually found a way to involve himself in the middle. His work winning the penalty was the key play of the game as it removed a Roar defender from the equation and brought them back on level terms. The funny thing, on review, is Mooy went the way Young was pointing but then decided to jump at the opposite corner.
Mental strength
Having spent most of their life as the little brother of Melbourne football, the City/Heart team has not been in this position before. When Hingert was sent off, the pressure on City to go on and win the game was astronomical. They dominated possession and managed to get the job done. It may be a cliché at this point but it is exactly what a side in that position needs to prove it can do if it wants to be taken seriously at the business end of the season.
Looking forward
The last two games between these sides have been enthralling contests and when it is 11 on 11, they are very closely matched. If they are to meet in the semi final or even the grand final (which is no guarantee but a definite possibility) it is going to be another entertaining contest. No pressure to either side but the next six weeks will determine whether or not this season is a success of failure.
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