Melbourne City FC’s Y-League side registered their first win of the season with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Perth Glory at Dorrien Gardens on Saturday.
Moudi Najjar opened the scoring in the 19th minute, with a beautifully struck strike from just inside the area. The striker was played through by Josh Cavallo, before burying his effort into the far bottom corner.
In the 86th minute captain Dylan Pierias doubled City’s lead, firing the ball past Lee following Idrus Abdulahi’s perfectly weighted through ball. Four minutes later Stefan Colakovski sealed the three points, pouncing on an opportunistic effort on the stroke of full-time.
City return to action next week when they host Melbourne Victory at C.B. Smith Reserve on Saturday 1 December, kick-off 1:30pm (AEDT).
Team News
Senior defender Curtis Good started at centre-back for Head Coach Joe Palatside’s team, who was also boosted by the return of Dylan Pierias, Joshua Cavallo, Moudi Najjar and Anthony Lesiotis, who all slotted straight into the starting XI.
Goalkeeper Ahmad Taleb replaced James Delianov in goal.
The team is in ahead of our match against @PerthGloryFC at Dorrien Gardens. #YLeague pic.twitter.com/ZqysN4aMUO
— Melbourne City Youth – LIVE (@MelbCityYouth) November 24, 2018
What happened?
In perfect conditions for football at Dorrien Gardens in Perth, both teams looked determine to wrestle the early ascendency.
City found the earliest breakaway of the match in the third minute when Curtis Good found Gianluca Iannucci with a brilliant long ball, the winger then tried to find attacker Moudi Najjar but his cross was cleared by the experienced Matthew Spiranovic
It was end-to-end football in the opening 10 minutes, with Head Coach Joe Palatside’s team looking to break away on the counter-attack. With both teams looking to attack at every opportunity, there were fouls aplenty disrupting the fluency of the match.
After a flurry of half chances including a long-range effort from captain Dylan Pierias, City would eventually break the deadlock through Moudi Najjar in the 19th minute. Josh Cavallo played the attacker into the box, who made no mistake with a brilliant low drive into the bottom corner.
The home side looked to respond immediately, but were denied by a perfectly timed lunging tackle from Idrus Abdulahi in the penalty box.
With 15 minutes of the first-half to play, Yaya Dukuly looked to assist Najjar, although the striker’s effort was driven straight into the arms of Glory shot-stopper Jackson Lee.
In the 42nd minute City again had a chance to double their lead, this time through Good, although his effort from just outside the box was fired over the crossbar.
With three minutes left in the first period the home side looked destined to find an equaliser, but a desperate City defence ensured the score remained 1-0 at the half-time break.
City commenced the second-half with an immediate intent to double their lead. With three chances coming in the opening two minutes, half-time substitute Jordan Bos struck the side netting before Pierias’ glancing header from the back post sailed wide.
Moments later Curtis Good went inches away from find the back of the net. The central defender met Cavallo’s cross with a towering header, only to be denied by a brilliant save from Jackson Lee.
In the 57th minute City would again have a chance to double their lead. Pierias finished off a brilliant solo run by slotting the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs, only to be denied off the goal line by a desperate effort from Perth’s Zayd Farah.
Following a flurry of chances to open the second-half from the boys in City blue, the game took a backwards step in the final 15 minutes as City looked to secure the win.
As the home side continued to push in search of an equaliser, City punished their opposition with a brilliant 86th minute goal to secure the points. Idrus Abdulahi showed great composure to slot through Dylan Pierias one-on-one with the keeper, the captain making no mistake firing the ball into the back of the net.
On the stroke of full-time Stefan Colakovski put the icing on the cake, pouncing on an opportunistic effort from close range to make it 3-0.
What’s next?
Melbourne City host Melbourne Victory in a Y-League Melbourne Derby at C.B. Smith Reserve on Saturday 1 December, kick-off 4:30pm (AEDT).
