In what can only be explained as an ugly game of Football, in front of one of the smallest home crowd in the Victory's history, both sides played a style of Football that not even their parents would have been proud of. The Victory can only have themselves to blame for the result tonight. They created a lot more chances than the Mariners, but luck is not on their side this season, and defiantly was not on the field tonight.
The Victory came into the match desperate to turn their fortune around after disappointing results against a red hot Gold Coast United at home and a Perth Glory side, who had only got 1 point from a possible 30 points. While the Mariners, who have not seen Central Coast Stadium since the 2nd October, where weary from the amount of frequent flyer points accrued over the last six weeks.
The only decent play of the first half was the goal scored by Mariners striker Daniel McBreen. The first goal came against the run of play, Alex Wilkinson long pass to an open McBreen created space after Kevin Muscat and Rodrigo Vargas got sucked across to the other side of the pitch. McBreen only had the keeper to beat and beat him low and to the right.
The Victory's goal to tie the match at 1-all sums up there night with the three defenders involved in the goal. Billy Celeski crossed the ball to the far post to a free Kevin Muscat, who than beat a Mariners defender to put the ball into the middle, Adrian Leijer than headed the ball down to the feet of Vargas who was two yards from the goal.
Two minutes late, a free kick from Carlos Hernandez sparked the crowd into a frenzy for the Victory's second goal. The free kick was rewarded after Pedj Bojic committed a foul on Robbie Kruse five yards from outside the box. Hernandez's right boot curled around the wall of four Mariners and beat Matthew Ryan on his near post.
A comedy of errors by the Melbourne Victory is how they conceded their second goal to conclude the scoring for the night. A corner from Rostyn Griffiths was defused worse than Basil Fawlty servicing guests at Fawlty Towers. Grant Brebner attempted to clear the ball off the line, but it hit the foot of Jason Petvokic doing his best turtle on its back impersonation and trickled across the line.
If the Victory continue to play in the manner that they did tonight, it will be a long and hard struggle to make the Top six for a side which has been the benchmark for the competition. Although it was an overcast Thursday night in the self-proclaimed sporting capital of the world, the Victory fans may have voted with the feet to show the dismay of what they have seen of a club which once dominated this league. The fight continues for them against in nine days time when they travel to Wellington to take on a Phoenix side which has lost the last two games at home, after creating a fortress at the Caketin.
For the Mariners, the gameplay continues taking on Gold Coast United on Sunday at Central Coast Stadium (5pm) in what will be one of the highlights of the round.