The Melbourne Youth derby has lived up to expectations, with City and Victory playing out a thrilling contest before settling for a 2-2 draw.
Melbourne City Youth thought they partly atoned for their senior counterparts’ disappointing Melbourne Derby after leading 2-0 after 65 minutes through Luka Prelevic and Anthony Rizk, before a Jesse Makarounas double earned a late draw for the visitors.
That wasn’t before City fended off a number of late Victory surges to steal the win.
City got on the front foot early, almost scoring from a corner kick but Thomas Deng was on the line to block a goalbound shot.
Prelevic did make Victory pay minutes later, pouncing on a spill from Wade Dekker’s initial effort to fire into the net.
Stefan Zinni was the next City player to test Thomas, but the ‘keeper was able to parry the ball away at the near post.
Victory slowly worked their way into the contest and almost had an equaliser in the 17th minute through Rashid Mahazi, who flashed a shot over the bar after a partially cleared corner
Andrew Nabbout then whipped in an inch perfect cross to George Howard on the counter, but Marko Stevanja held firm to deny his point blank shot.
Dekker almost added City’s second goal from a set-piece, glancing a header just wide from a set-piece.
The visitors though they had the equaliser on the stroke of half time when Nabbout again broke on the counter, but his cutback to Jesse Makarounas then found its way to George Howard in an offside position.
Victory raced out of the blocks in the second half, with Dylan Murnane Marauding forward and finding Nabbout in the box, but Stevanja again stood tall to make a strong save.
Nabbout had another golden chance to equalise in the 60th minute, chesting a ball down in the box and blazing over the bar, before City counter attacked and Wade Dekker hit a similar shot down the other end.
Joe Palatsides made a masterstroke decision in the 65th minute, bringing on Rizk who scored with his first touch when Hernan Espindola turned just outside the box and teed up the super-sub on the left.
Rizk nearly added a second goal moments later in identical circumstances, but was denied by Thomas.
Jesse Makarounas pulled a goal back in the 80th minute, tapping home after Nabbout’s low ball – which appeared to be a scuffed shot on goal – found him at the back post.
The two again combined when Makarounas latched onto Nabbout’s through ball and finished calmly past Stevanja to square the ledger.
The latter had a golden chance to snatch victory late, tapping Katebian’s ball in the box right at Stevanja.
City had to fend off a few more late Victory surges, before Jordan Brown’s lunge blocked Prelevic’s goalbound shot at the death.
Melbourne City 2 (Prelevic 7′, Rizk 65′) drew with Melbourne Victory 2 (Makarounas 81′ 84′)