After completing their second and final bye of the 2018/19 Y-League season, it will be full steam ahead for City’s Y-League side when they recommence action against Brisbane Roar this weekend.
The clash at C.B Smith Reserve will mark a return to a happy hunting ground for Head Coach Joe Palatsides’ side, their last hit out at the venue a fortnight ago resulting in a 4-1 defeat of local rivals Melbourne Victory.
Scholarship players Moudi Najjar and Connor Metcalfe both secured braces in that triumph; scoring goals on either side of the half as City cruised to a comfortable three points.
POST MATCH |
Head Coach @pala_joe gives his thoughts following our 4-1 defeat of @gomvfc in the #YLeague #MelbDerby pic.twitter.com/xQ5AERQHDe
— Melbourne City Youth – LIVE (@MelbCityYouth) December 1, 2018
This week’s opponents the Roar also recorded a victory in their last hit out: defeating Perth Glory 2-1 at Lions Stadium last Saturday.
Though they fell behind in the eighth minute when Chris Harold struck to put the side in purple ahead, the Roar rallied to a come-from-behind victory in that contest thanks to a 19th-minute leveller from Shannon Brady and a 25th-minute strike from Mirza Muratovic.
City and Roar last met in round two of the Y-League season in Brisbane.
Roar recorded a 2-0 victory in that meeting, a second-half brace from Muratovic propelling the side in orange to the three points at a sodden Lions Stadium.
Their win over Glory – their second of the season – was enough to propel Roar to the top position on the Y-League Conference A table; second-placed Adelaide United’s 2-1 loss at the hands of Melbourne Victory leaving them equal on seven points with the Roar but with an inferior goal difference.
City, for their part, sit just a point back of the table leading Roar and Reds at the halfway point of the Y-League season.
That third place, however, carries with it one important caveat – they retain a game in hand over both of their rivals.
And with Saturday’s game against Roar still to be followed by two games against Adelaide, the fate of Joe Palatsides side still well and truly rests in their own hands.
Match Details:
Foxtel Y-League Round 6
Saturday, 15 December 2018
Melbourne City FC v Brisbane Roar FC
Venue: C.B Smith Reserve, Fawkner, Melbourne, Victoria
Kick-off: 3:30 pm
