An end-to-end contest at AAMI Park saw Melbourne City undone by a Marc Janko brace, as they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Sydney FC, despite a late surge.
Janko’s early header and second half effort had Sydney cruising at 2-0, but an 88th minute header to defensive midfielder Erik Paartalu and a sending off to Serbian midfielder Milos Dimitrijevic had the away side frantically defending to retain the points.
But despite the late drama, the Sky Blues were able to hang on for the three points for their finals charge.
Melbourne City got an early site on goal through Socceroos call-up Aaron Mooy, who ghosted into the penalty area, only to see Dugandzic’s sharp cross narrowly float over his head.
But that’s as good as it got in the opening moments for the home side as marquee man Janko nodded home the simplest of headers, following Bernie Ibini-Isei’s tailing cross from the right flank.
There was even more reason for frustration as Vedran Janjetovic kept Sydney FC’s lead in unconventional fashion.
The in-form shot stopper first went low to take the ball off the boots of Irishman Damien Duff, before the veteran winger fell over the keeper on the second attempt, taking it upon himself to call the foul inside the box.
As he went to scoop the ball up for the penalty, the referee did sound the whistle for a foul, much to the ears of Duff, but it was turned around for a handball against City.
It could’ve gotten worse in the 25th minute as Janko nearly doubled the advantage with a carbon copy goal of the first.
This time it was full-back Pedj Bojic on the overlap who delivered to the Austrian at the near post, with Redmayne fortunate to see the shot cannon off the upright and away from danger.
The keeper had a bigger impact in Sydney’s next foray forwards as he turned Ibini-Isei’s wicked cross away with a strong diving palm.
This sparked a counter attack, which saw Mate Dugandzic’s header force Janjetovic into another fantastic save, all set up by a sublime cross from David Williams on the sprint.
It was action on all fronts as Janko again proved himself a thorn in the side of a City side who were starting to show plenty of sides of faltering, as the Austrian teed up Brosque with a flick-on before forcing Redmayne into a sharp save.
The pressure began to mount as Redmayne again saved his sides bacon with an immense one-on-one save off winger Ali Abbas, and with it, kept his side in with a sniff by the break.
The all-action contest didn’t stop with the half-time breather as David Williams crusaded forward to nearly profit from a rare mix up from Janjetovic, but the City man couldn’t force his volley past Janko on the line.
City enjoyed a large majority of the possession in the opening 20 minutes of the second half but were unable to capitalise on their dominance in their search for an equaliser.
The real clear-cut chances were few and far between – much more akin to the contest we saw at Etihad Stadium last night between the Victory and Roar – and when they did the goalkeepers stood firm.
Redmayne again was forced into a sharp save, as he palmed away a stinging Ibini-Isei strike from just outside the area, but he could do nothing about the next strike.
With seven minutes to play, Rob Wielaert looked to cut back to his central defensive partner, instead he found Janko, who broke and clinically slotted low past the goalkeeper.
With time running out, City did their best to rescue a point much like Central Coast did against them last week, and when Paartalu’s floating header found the back of the net, some hope was salvaged amongst the wreckage a certain Austrian striker had paved.
When Milos Dimitrijevic was sent off moments later for a second bookable offence – the latter recieved for time wasting – it seemed as if the tide was turning City’s way.
The crowd lifted as one as the ever impressive Mooy lifted a delightful ball over the top towards youngster Marino in injury time, with the striker unable to test the keeper.
Moments later, substitute James Brown hit a sumptuous near post strike, but the effort was well saved by Janjetovic, and with it, so were the points.
***
Melbourne City 1 (Paartalu 88′) defeated by Sydney FC 2 (Janko 9′ 83′)
Melbourne City: 1. Andrew REDMAYNE (GK), 3. Rob WIELAERT, 5. Erik PAARTALU, 28. Liam MILLER (25. Jacob MELLING 46’), 7. Iain RAMSAY, 6. Aaron MOOY, 11. Damien DUFF, 15. David WILLIAMS (14. James BROWN 66’), 23. Mate DUGANDZIC (26. Marc MARINO 77’), 24. Patrick KISNORBO (c), 17. Jason HOFFMAN
Unused Substitutes: 20. Tando VELAPHI (GK), 27. Ross ARCHIBALD
Yellow Cards: Wielaert 79’
Red Cards: Nil
Sydney FC: 20. Vedran JANJETOVIC (GK), 2. Seb RYALL, 4. Pedj BOJIC, 6. Nikola PETKOVIC, 8. Milos DIMITRIJEVIC, 21. Marc JANKO (9. Shane SMELTZ 90′), 11. Bernie IBINI-ISEI, 16. Alex GERSBACH, 17. Terry ANTONIS, 14. Alex BROSQUE (c), 22. Ali ABBAS (23. Rhyan GRANT 69’)
Unused Substitutes: 1. Ivan NECEVSKI (GK), 13. Chris NAUMOFF, 25. Aaron CALVER
Yellow Cards: Bojic 18’ Dimitrijevic 70’
Red Cards: Dimitrijevic 89′