Melbourne City coach Aurelio Vidmar says he’s never seen an injury crisis like the “frustrating as hell” one gripping his side after Andreas Kuen became the latest addition to the club’s injured cohort in their 2-0 win over Wellington.
Placed in an early ascendency by Harry Politidis’ first A-League Men goal before sealing the result in the 83rd minute through Nathaniel Atkinson, City put in their most comprehensive display of the season at AAMI Park on Friday evening.
Vidmar’s men pressed with intent to deny the Kiwis a moment’s respite and dominated possession and territory.
“I think that was one of our better performances this year, in terms of what we want to do,” Vidmar said.
But with only four days until they must return to action at AAMI Park against Western United, a shadow was cast over the win by an innocuous-looking challenge from Paulo Retre sent Kuen to ground grabbing his hamstring in the 18th minute, leading to his substitution.
“He’ll probably go and get scans in tomorrow or the day after and we’ll wait and see what happens,” the City boss said.
“It’s disappointing because it’s got to the point of being so ridiculous.”
An absence for Kuen would mean City is missing eight first-choice players with injury.
Yonatan Cohen was ruled out for two months on Thursday with a medial cruciate ligament injury, joining Mat Leckie, Marco Tilio, Andrew Nabbout, Max Caputo, Alessandro Lopane and Jimmy Jeggo on the shelf.
While flagging that this was just the fourth soft tissue injury amongst this cohort, Vidmar said his club would review its training and treatment practices to see if it could improve.
It’s now eight years since Wellington last won at AAMI Park and even longer since they beat Melbourne City there.
Wellington was anaemic in their latest attempt to break this streak, credited with just two touches in their opponent’s penalty area on the stat sheet and managing just a single shot to City’s 21.
Losers of four of their past five games, the Phoenix will only leave home once in their next five fixtures – a stretch also encompassing the ALM’s mid-season transfer window – and coach Giancarlo Italiano acknowledged the crucial period ahead.
“The next month is imperative to our success,” he said.
“Within the group, we have to basically refocus and make sure that every one of these games are considered a final.”
Mariners beat Roar after two late goals
Central Coast secured a 3-1 away win over Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium with the hapless hosts finishing the match with 10 men.
It was the last placed Roar’s 13th consecutive A-League Men game without a win – a club record – but they lost few fans with their application.
This was also an ALM equalling record for most consecutive home losses. The Roar’s tally is now seven, equalling the New Zealand Knights’ mark set in 2005.
Roar defender Hosine Bility was sent off in the 89th minute for his second yellow card to further the hosts’ misery.
Central Coast, the defending premiers playing their fourth ALM match in 11 days, took the lead early courtesy of an 11th minute own goal to Roar midfielder Walid Shour.
From that moment the away side didn’t greatly trouble the hosts in attack in the first half and seemed content to protect the lead.
Brisbane had an attacking mindset and were rewarded in the 71st minute when Ben Halloran scored to set up a grandstand finish.
An 82nd minute header by Harrison Steele for the Mariners stunned the home fans. The Roar kept coming but a stoppage time clincher by Arthur De Lima finished them off.
Mariners coach Mark Jackson said his side won the big moments after the Roar fought back.
“That’s what I take from the game, that fight and that character and a willingness to dig in during the difficult moments,:” he said.
“I am proud of the boys.”
Roar coach Ruben Zadkovich said the red card for Bility was a “disgraceful decision”, and that he saw “massive positives” in the performance.
“I felt we were the better team probably in every metric, similar to last week, except the scoreline,” he said
The own goal by Shour summed up the home side’s season in a nutshell.
Mariners forward Mikael Doka curled a threatening cross into the box from a free kick and Shour collected it with his backside only to watch the ball slide past horrified goalkeeper Macklin Freke.
For the rest of the half Brisbane dominated most of the attacking statistics but couldn’t find an elusive goal.
Striker Thomas Waddingham had half-chances in the box but was crowded by the Central Coast defenders.
Waddingham, 19, is being courted by England clubs Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday but the Roar will only entertain a transfer at the right price.
The Roar brought 18-year-old winger Jacob Brazete on after halftime and he immediately injected energy and intent down the left flank.
Keegan Jelacic released Waddingham, who let rip with a left-footer brilliantly saved by Mariners goalkeeper Dylan Peraic-Cullen, who threw his giant frame in the way to deny the Roar.
A push-and-shove erupted in the 68th minute when Bility took out Central Coast counterpart Brian Kaltak with a reckless challenge that earned a yellow card.
The Roar found the goal they deserved when Halloran scored at the far post with a slick volley after a curling cross by defender Corey Brown.
Steele’s header was a cracker after a wonder cross by Storm Roux that he held up to perfection.
Bility was sent off, then former Roar junior De Lima scored in the 95th minute to wrap it up and take the Mariners to eighth.
Lauton stunner seals famous Western win over Glory
Perth Glory’s hopes of a rare home win at HBF Park have ended in heartbreak after one of the most spectacular goals in A-League Men history by Jordan Lauton secured a remarkable 3-2 comeback win for Western United.
As the 90 minutes expired on Friday, goals from Adam Taggart and Jarrod Carluccio had seemingly done enough for the hosts to secure the three points, 321 days after their last league win at the venue
But a minute into added time, Tate Russell popped up the back post to poke home a United equaliser and set the stage for Lauton to etch his name in folklore in the 95th minute.
Angus Thurgate’s cross trailed just behind Lauton’s run into the box, but the 21-year-old adjusted as he launched himself into the air and connected with a spectacular bicycle kick, finding the bottom corner of the net and sending the visitors into bedlam.
Already on a yellow card, the youngster then took off his shirt as he celebrated his first-ever senior goal, earning him a second yellow card and marching orders.
Now riding a three-game winning run, John Aloisi’s side added to what is now a five-way logjam of sides ranked second through sixth on the table sitting on 18 points. The win put them fifth, ahead of Melbourne Victory on goal difference.
Their three points having become none in the space of minutes, Glory remain second-bottom of the league, with just a single win – against bottom-placed Brisbane – all season.
Opening the scoring via Taggart’s 50th goal for his hometown side in the 29th minute, Glory had responded well to United equalising through Matthew Grimaldi’s three minutes later and looked to have seen off the Western threat heading into added time.
But Aloisi’s side found a spectacular way to get their coach a win in his 100th game in charge of the club.
© AAP
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