Melbourne City captain Patrick Kisnorbo admits the competition for spots in the Melbourne City line-up is “healthy” for the playing group as City aim to push for a finals spot this season.
After conceding five goals against the Wellington Phoenix in Round 8, City were a side desperate for a win to kick start their season and Aaron Mooy’s converted spot kick was enough to ensure that the three points would remain in Melbourne against a lacklustre Brisbane Roar side.
Melbourne now sit in sixth place and the win will inject some much needed-confidence into a side that will be looking to improve on its two wins, both against the struggling Brisbane Roar.
“It’s a healthy environment, people are fighting to play which I think is great,” Kisnorbo said.
“It breeds hunger within the playing group and everyone wants to play, no one wants to miss out – it could only be a positive rather than a negative.”
Under-pressure coach John van ’t Schip shuffled his defence and his risk paid off with City defending their narrow lead right up until the final whistle – a step in the right direction for the team that has struggled defensively in recent times.
With memories of Melbourne’s Round 6 draw to Central Coast where City led 2-0 but faltered late in the game to end the clash in a stalemate, the clean sheet against Brisbane comes as a confidence-booster to the City defence.
“We stayed in our spots, in that structure and it was hard for [Brisbane] to break us down as a unit and that’s what we learned in the Central Coast game and last week’s game – it’s a lot of hard work we put in and today we reaped the rewards,” the 33-year-old said.
“We’ve worked in the summer with all different combinations and at the end of the day the gaffer is the one that chooses his line-up and went with what he did.
“It was just good to win and even the people that didn’t play, they’re easily good enough to start in the starting 11, it’s just that the gaffer went with something different this week,” he added.
Melbourne will now begin its preparations to take on in-form Melbourne Victory in the much-anticipated Melbourne derby on December 20 – City skipper Kisnorbo says his side will draw confidence from the win and take to the field ready to cause an upset.
“I think confidence plays a big part in the team,” he said.
“It was nice to get that win and hopefully it brings confidence into the whole playing squad – hopefully we get some momentum going into Melbourne Victory’s game in two weeks.”