Apart from a few minutes at the beginning and end of this match, Sydney had it all over Melbourne. The 2-1 scoreline flattered the visitors.
Consensus seemed to be that it was Sydney's best game of the season, a good precursor to their participation in the World Club Championship.
The game started at a frenetic pace. In the first minute Archie Thompson shot from 20 metres not too far wide after Melbourne won a free kick ten metres into the Sydney half.
A minute later Clint Bolton had to get down well to stop Thompson who had been played into space at the top left corner of the Sydney penalty area.
Sydney soon retaliated, with Dwight Yorke, very eager, getting in a cross from the right.
Daniel Piorkowski ’Äî who impressed early but was later substituted ’Äî fouled Saso Petrovski and the Sydney free kick sent David Carney away down the right.
Kristian Sarkies stopped a long run by Steve Corica, fed by Alvin Ceccoli (a combination that produced results throughout the evening).
Carney rounded several defenders and sent in a low cross from the right...
In the 11th minute Yorke was played into space on the right and his cross won a corner.
Mark Milligan looked good starting at right back for Sydney and also when he ventured forward. Piorkowski performed similarly for Melbourne five minutes later.
Petrovski rolled Michael Ferrante and broke away from the centre of the pitch. Carney won Sydney another corner. From the corner, taken by Yorke, Ceccoli from 20 metres hit a pile-driver that Michael Theoklitos saved magnificently.
Sydney had found their rhythm and the squeeze was on.
Kazu Miura, working hard, forced Melbourne to lose possession and concede a throw in.
A Melbourne cross from the left was headed clear by Iain Fyfe.
Yorke, Milligan and Terry McFlynn combined to dispossess Thompson.
The 24th minute was exhilarating. Thompson beat Milligan and sent Daniel Allsopp marauding into the Sydney penalty area. Bolton came to the rescue with one hand outstretched dispossessing Allsopp zeroing in on target.
And immediately Sydney countered and scored through Corica. Petrovski tapped on a pass from the top of the box to Corica heading to the right post. Corica lifted the ball over Theoklitos and inside the left upright.
Two minutes later Yorke slammed a shot just to the left of goal. And Sydney continued trying shots from everywhere.
Carl Recchia beat two tackles before Melbourne crossed. Sydney looked in danger but Jacob Timpano clawed the ball away from goal and passed out to Yorke.
On the half hour Sydney were everywhere in the Melbourne penalty area. Theoklitos and his defenders desperately flung themselves around to keep the ball out.
Two minutes later a great low ball into the penalty area by Ceccoli nearly found Petrovski. Sydney won a corner and Petrovski had a shot saved and Kazu hit the post. Someone yelled, "How could he have missed that!" but it wasn't clear which miss was the greater offence.
Carney and Yorke dazzled defenders on the right but Carney's cross found only Theoklitos.
Richard Kitzbichler took a hurried shot to the left of the Sydney goal.
Petrovski switched play from right to left where Corica and Ceccoli showed some more nice touches.
In the 38th minute Timpano aggravated a groin injury and was replaced by Andrew Packer who took over right back while Milligan moved to the middle.
In the 39th minute Petrovski set up a shot for Kazu that went straight to Theoklitos.
Petrovski robbed Ferrante and Carney beat Recchia and won a free kick. Sydney had a half chance at the near post.
Ferrante cut out another long ball from Petrovski to Corica.
Kitzbichler was doing a lot of good running. Though Sydney's defence kept track of him.
Thompson finally got the ball in front of goal, outside the penalty area, but was surrounded by blue shirts. Thompson slipped the ball left to Ferrante who won a corner.
After a 200 metre hike around to the ATM that was still working and back without spilling my beer I'd missed only 2.5 minutes of the second half.
Kazu was fouled. And Carney, now on the left, was fouled by Adrian Leijer. Kevin "entertainment-extraordinaire" Muscat intervened. "Wanker," chanted the crowd, getting into the spirit of things. Corica's free kick was perfect for Petrovski who scooped his shot over the crossbar.
The Cove came to life thanks to Muscat's antics: "We hate you coz you're Victorian!"
But Melbourne were managing to push the ball around with some proficiency.
In the 55th minute Ceccoli beat Sarkies and Leijer and crossed to Petrovski whose header skimmed the crossbar.
Muscat fouled Yorke and Thompson fouled Ceccoli. Someone behind me called Muscat a "musquito".
Thompson beat McFlynn and Fyfe but his cross went nowhere.
Leijer followed Muscat's example and got rough with Petrovski.
Ceccoli beat Muscat and his cross slid just beyond Petrovski and Carney. Kazu got under the ball back into the penalty area but he was facing the wrong way and his header went high and wide.
Some Yorke magic won a cheer; then Thompson played into Ceccoli and won a corner.
Mark Byrnes came on for Piorkowski and Muscat and Petrovski earned some yellow after Petrovski collided with Theoklitos and Muscat administered some corporal punishment.
Andy Vlahos replaced Kitzbichler and Carney cut out a pass from Byrnes to Leijer.
Steve Pantelidis stopped Kazu after Ceccoli and Corica did some more good work on the left.
In the 70th minute Vlahos was clobbered by McFlynn.
Ceccoli fed Petrovski who was fouled by Muscat.
Yorke beat two tackles but Muscat cleared. Then Yorke played a great ball for Ceccoli down the left. Ceccoli beat Allsopp and hit a lovely cross but Kazu couldn't beat Theoklitos to the ball.
In the 76 minute Vlahos was replaced by Vince Lia. Melbourne's strike power seemed limited ’Ķ but ’Ķ
Kazu was mangled on the right, the free kick went to Carney and Sydney won a corner. Sydney played the ball back and back and back again and just as it seemed to be getting a little sad the ball was switched from right to left and the attack swept down the opposite wing.
When Melbourne regained possession Bolton was forced to make a brave collect.
In the 81st minute Ceccoli, brilliant down the left, supplied Petrovski whose first touch and ball into Kazu were football perfection. Kazu overstepped but the ball came back out to Petrovski who picked out Carney running into the right side of the box. Carney couldn't miss and Sydney's dominance found some reflection on the scoreboard.
Petrovski, replaced by David Zdrilic, received great applause, probably as much for standing up to Muscat as for his stellar performance.
Ceccoli (who a colleague reckoned was tiring toward the end) tried his luck once too often against Muscat, who had pushed up into the right corner. Muscat won and crossed and Thompson headed left of goal.
Sydney seemed safe and the crowd became more interested in their own company than in the game before them. Around and around went a Mexican wave ’Äî an insult considering how entertaining the game had been, and considering that Melbourne clearly had some kick left.
A ball over the top found Allsopp in space on the left. He ran to goal. Milligan couldn't catch him. Bolton dived at his feet but couldn't block him. Allsopp scored an accomplished goal.
The crowd went silent in disbelief. As if the goal would be disallowed. I really had the sense that if the crowd had been focusing on the game Allsopp wouldn't have got away. And the crowd felt chastised. Guilty.
Kazu sweetly sent Carney away down the right. The cross was no good but Sydney won a corner. With 90 minutes already on the clock they used it to soak up time.
Melbourne's coach Ernie Merrick, pleasingly candid, said he was disappointed with his team's performance. "They beat us all over the park really. They committed players forward. It nearly cost them in the first two minutes when Archie Thompson got through on a one-on-one which might have put a different face on the game, but I thought Sydney played really well."
When he was asked how he could regroup after his team had been taken apart in wide areas of the field, he said, "Sydney were on song, they bounced back and we will as well."
He claimed not to have seen any Muscat "incidents" but said, "Kevin's a great positive influence on our team and obviously he has a record of not playing a disciplined game but he's been terrific for us. I mean he's been sent off once. He's done a great job with our players."
He said, "I don't thing there's any doubt that the left hand side of our field has been a problem ’Äî left back and left midfield ’Äî it's a thing we've been working on but we've taken points off every team in this league and there's a balanced scoresheet with Sydney ’Ķ That's the best performance against us and it's a credit to the Sydney boys that they played so well in all areas of the pitch."
He said his defence was under pressure because the Sydney backline pushed right up and the Sydney midfielders pushed on top of the Melbourne midfielders and there was no space at all.
He thought Melbourne did better in the second half and almost stole a point, "but that would have been entirely unfair".
Significantly, he wasn't interested in the gap Adelaide had made at the top of the competition. "Because there is a finals series it's not such a terrible thing. We want to be in the finals; we'll be happy with fourth. I'm not worried with chasing Adelaide at the top."
He was confident Melbourne would make the finals.
He said his midfield and left side problem was not necessarily one that had to be solved by finding the right player; it also could be solved by being coached. "It's not just a case of giving a player one chance, it's a case of developing a position and coaching."
He said Vlahos landed on his ankle and rolled it. It was very unlucky. "He's come on many times and changed the game for us. And Richard (Kitzbichler) couldn't get in the game. Their defence managed to take both Richard and Archie out of the game very effectively. So it was good that Daniel scored."
Merrick said Sydney's strikers were very impressive. "They pushed our defence back, they dropped off, took the ball to feet. They were capable of taking the ball to feet and getting in behind. We sorted that out at half time by using three centre halves and then Pantelidis pushing into midfield."
He said Kazu was a very impressive player and asked if he was available for Melbourne for a couple of weeks.
Pierre Littbarski said Sydney did very well, even better than they did against Adelaide the week before. He praised Corica and all the offensive players who he said played on a high level.
He said it was a pleasure watching professionals like Corica and Kazu playing at their physical limit.