Victory inflicts more pain on winless Wanderers

Melbourne Victory scored a goal in each half to beat Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 at Pirtek Stadium thanks to a wonder goal and a sucker punch.

A-League Rd 15 - Western Sydney v Melbourne

Carl Valeri celebrates his wonder volley for Melbourne Victory against Western Sydney Wanderers (Getty)

Victory's win takes it back to third spot on the ladder, one point from Wellington Phoenix and five behind leader Perth Glory.

The Wanderers, who have yet to record a win this season, did enough to share the spoils but stay rooted at the bottom of the league after yet another league defeat.

Both teams were not prepared to take too many risks in the early stages of the game and the action was mostly concentrated in midfield.

The Wanderers, who still enjoy marvellous support from their fans - with 14,619 in attendance on a Tuesday night - despite their position in the table, created two promising moves on the right wing but Nikita Rukavytsya twice played the wrong ball.

It took 20 minutes for any team to create a real scoring chance and this came from Besart Berisha who laid on a perfect pass for Kosta Barbarouses who butchered his shot from an excellent position.

Rukavytsya replied with a superb shot that was destined to land in the top corner of the net but Nathan Coe made a flying save to tip the ball to corner.

Rukavystya was in an inspired mood and soon after he combined with Nick Kalmar and went away on the right but, to the dismay of the crowd, he again fluffed his cross.

Victory took the lead against the run of play after 26 minutes when a defensive rebound came to Carl Valeri who was lurking in the 'D' and the holding midfielder smashed the ball into the top corner of the net with a sensational volley that will be among the best goals of the season.

Ante Covic has performed several heroics for the Wanderers in the last few weeks but there was nothing he could do to save such an exceptional shot.

Rukavytsya was at it again in the 36th minute: he flew past defender Dylan Murnane with pace and dribbling but he ruined his good work by playing a cross far too deep with Labinot Haliti waiting to pounce.

Barbarouses had a chance to increase Victory's lead soon after the restart when he broke clear on the right but his shot was too central and Covic was able to make a regulation save.

Barbarouses did much better a few minutes later when he made space for himself on the edge of the penalty area but his low shot narrowly missed the post.

The Wanderers drew level on 54 minutes when Rukavytsya passed squarely to Kalmar and the club's newest signing found the far corner of the net with a superb shot that gave Coe no chance.

It was the Wanderers' first goal after 475 minutes of league football.

Rukavytsya then gave his defender two metres and still left him trailing in a burst of speed but Haliti was unable to connect with the winger's tantalising low cross.

Victory lost its composure after the home team's goal and the crowd sensed an upset was in the offing.

Berisha however was unlucky not to go on the scoresheet when his looping header from a corner deceived Covic but the ball ws cleared on the line by Brendan Hamill.

It was a portent of things to come because in the 79th minute the away team regained the lead with a deadly counter-attack that caught the Wanderers cold.

Berisha barged into the Wanderers' penalty area and Covic stopped the striker in his tracks but he could not stop the ball from rolling to Gui Finkler who fired home for an opportunist's goal.

With time running out fast a strike from teenage Wanderers substitute Steve Kuzmanvski was superbly saved by Coe.

Victory coach Kevin Muscat was full of praise for his players, saying despite the Wanderers' lowly place on the table it was one of the hardest games his side had been involved in this season.

"This is certainly not an easy place to come. Western Sydney have been in all the games I've watched them in this season and we knew it was going to be tough tonight," he said.

"We scored two very good goals, two excellent goals and when you do that away from home it's very pleasing to go away with the three points."

Wanderers boss Tony Popovic admitted to feeling a touch of deja vu after the game with his side once again denied a win despite creating several opportunities to take out the points.

"I seem to be saying the same things here each week," he said.

"I've never lacked belief in what I am doing and I don't lose belief after watching that.

"But we are in a business of points and at the moment we haven't got many.

"But watching that I am proud of that performance. We are evolving as a team and playing better.

"But unfortunately in both boxes we are not ruthless enough."


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5 min read
Published 6 January 2015 9:28pm
Updated 6 January 2015 11:23pm
Source: SBS

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