Melbourne Victory won their first game in this season’s A-League competition when they downed Gold Coast United 1-0 away at Skilled Park this afternoon [Sunday].
The attendance of 3,624 was the lowest A-League attendance in four years.
A brilliant goal in the 20th minute settled the issue. Carlos Hernandez played an inch-perfect pass through the Gold Coast defence for Robbie Kruse, who touched the ball past the advancing keeper Glenn Moss and rounded the custodian before finding the net from an acute angle on the right.
Gold Coast, insoired by captain Jason Culina, fought back but were unable to find an equaliser despite some excellent chances.
A minute after the goal, the home side should have levelled when Culina floated in a cross from the left, but James Brown failed to get the vital touch and Roddy Vargas was able to put the loose ball to safety.
In the 28th minute, Culina put Adama Traore away on the left and he cut inside and unleashed a fierce angled drive which was parried by keeper Michael Petkovic. The ball looped towards the far right-hand post, where Gol-Gol Mebrahtu nodded wide.
Culina sent in a vicious volley on the half-hour which was superbly saved by Petkovic.
In the 39th minute, Michael Thwaite shot just wide from range for the Gold Coast.
The second half proved just as unproductive for Gold Coast United and Melbourne held out for an important win.
The home side badly missed striker Shane Smeltz. The Kiwi international is in negotiations with a Turkish club. His replacement is likely to be Bruce Djite.
1 comment:
Gold Coast are a joke. Always have been really. Clive Palmer may have assembled a strong squad originally (debatable now) - but the Gold Coast public clearly aren't interested. Their attendance last year was crap. This year it looks like being even worse. Wouldn't be suprised if Palmer pulled his support at the end of the season like it was rumoured he was going to last off-season. Tasmania United? I bet we could scrape together more than 3k with an actual team.
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