REVIEW | Six Goal Thriller Ends In Draw
Round 10 of the Hyundai A-league quite possibly the game of the season with both teams playing out a 3-3 draw in front of just over 25,000 people.
Sydney Fc came into the clash desperate to prove their tittle credentials having suffered a blow losing at home to table topping Perth Glory. On the other hand, the victory come into the fixture on a high after comfortably overcoming the Central Coast Mariners away from home at the scenic North Sydney Oval.
The game started and openly and my goodness did the first half deliver. The first ten minutes produced no clear cut chances with both sides attempting to outdo each other on the flanks. Khalfallah for the victory however was able to show his threat by firstly producing a dangerous cross and then firing a shot which was deflected over the bar.
However just after the clock ticked over ten minutes, the game exploded into life. The victory opened the scoring with Archie Thompson being on the spot to poke home a deflected shot after twelve minutes. Credit goes to Berisha though whose shot was too hot for Janjetovic to handle in the lead up to the finish.
This sparked the visitors into life. Antonis and Dimitrijevic started to dominate leading to a Ibini shot which was blocked. Shortly after in the 17th minute Smeltz produced a moment of magic not scoring this time but flicking a ball onto Janko who calmly slotted the ball home to draw level.
From then on you would be forgiven for thinking Sydney would take their foot off the throttle but that wasn’t the case. The sky blues continued to find space in the midfield and continued to produce opportunity after opportunity. The best falling to Brosque who hit the woodwork from a venomous dart from Ibini. Ibini also nearly caught Coe out at the near post with Janko who nearly just nearly steered a header into the far corner from a corner.
Then disaster struck for the sky blues just before half time when Barbarouses dribbled past a couple of players before finding who found Thompson who brilliantly found the bottom left corner of the net.
The first half however wasn’t without controversy with suspicions of off side for the Janko equalizer and a possible send off when Milligan appeared to catch Antonis with a high elbow.
The second half began as the first started with both teams looking dangerous in the final third with chances at either end. Barbarouses almost found the top corner from distance before Brosque hesitated to shoot in a good position.
The Sky blues then equalized for a second time when Smeltz pounced on a free header from an Alex Gersbach corner.
Something was different for the Victory though, their attack was focused down the right side to great effect with several chances being created. Particularly benefiting was Barbarouses who caught both Gersbach and Grant out on multiple occasions. The best being a shot which was deflected out by Petkovic just before the hour mark and a shot from just outside the 18 yard area which was denied by Janjetovic at the near post.
It was the visitors however who broke the deadlock when Shane Smeltz rolled the ball into the bottom corner leaving the home crowd shell-shocked. However the Sky Blues didn’t hold this lead for long when Thompson combined with Berisha to create a one on one with Thompson again calmly putting the ball into the net.
There were a couple of late chances to Ryall off a Sydney corner and Berisha who was denied late in stoppage time by Janjetovic.
Melbourne Victory: 3 (Thompson 12, 47, 79). Sydney Fc: 3 (Janko 17, Smeltz 51, 76).
Crowd: 25,203
FTS Man of the Match – Archie Thompson
Line ups:
Coe (GK), Geria, Milligan ©, Broxham, Berisha, Barbarouses, Thompson, Khalfallah, Murnane, Valeri, Leijer.
Ansell, Pain, Mahazi, Thomas (GK), Makarounas.
Ryall, Bojic, Petkovic, Dimitrijevic, Smeltz, Ibini, Brosque ©, Gersbach, Antonis, Janjetovic (GK), Janko.
Necevski (GK), Triantis, Carle, Grant, Calver.
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