Despite the Melbourne Victory camp’s ‘cricket pitch’ concerns pre-game, there was no problems on it as the touring side claimed a 3-0 win over the Central Coast Mariners.
The damage was done in a powerplay 10 minute spell, with goals to Besart Berisha, Daniel Georgievski and Connor Pain rightly hitting the hosts for six.
The first-half in fact was more akin to the postponed test match, albeit not the slogfest we had all hoped for.
Melbourne Victory did make the brighter start through veteran forward Archie Thompson who slipped a delicate through ball on for teammate Berisha, but the forward saw his chance padded away by the fine leg of Liam Reddy.
Berisha and Reddy were soon in the thick of things again as a wry clearance in the 12th minute crashed into Victory’s marquee man in front of an open net, but the whistle was blown for a blatant use of the glove.
An errant foul saw centre-back Adrian Leijer go into the book early, ensuring the experienced campaigner was forced to play with a straight back for the remainder of the contest.
Despite their appeals, Berisha was once again given the shake of the head by the match officials, as the striker saw his 21st minute effort chalked off for an offside – Thompson laying on a pass in similar vein to Khalfallah’s against Sydney FC.
With both teams – and very little action – to report on come tea break, it looked as if the single goal may just decide the contest, but the hitting power was still in the sheds.
Hungarian Richard Vernes tried his luck in the opening moments of the second, testing the hands of Victory keeper Nathan Coe, but the effort lacked the pace to trouble the shot-stopper.
Kiwi Kosta Barbarouses continued to work the boundary and Victory came close to the opener, as he played square to Berisha, with the delivery tonked away by Zac Anderson at the heart of defence for the Mariners.
From the resulting corner, the Central Coast were forced to scramble to keep it to nil, as Milligan’s slight knick at the near post found Thompson at the far one, but Reddy was up to the task, clawing away to safety.
But it was all in vein as Berisha struck to get off the mark against a shell-shocked Mariners outfit.
Thompson – who was industrious all night – swept a delightful ball through to the striker in the 62nd minute, and he made no mistake at the strikers end, going across the face to open the scoring.
Victory continued to look for two, and it came through an unlikely source in left-back Georgievski who hit a sublime curler into the right corner from 25-yards for his first ever A-League goal.
The stunning strike had the Mariners well on the back foot, and the hosts were unable to recover from the quick-fire double, with substitute Connor Pain adding a third in the 72nd minute.
The speedster floated to the far stick as Barbarouses swung in a low cross, which was emphatically met for the youngster’s second goal of the season.
Both sides seemed content to bat out the overs as Victory continued their unbeaten start to the 2014-15 season, consolidating second place in the process.
Central Coast 0 defeated by Melbourne Victory 3 (Berisha 62’, Georgievski 68’, Pain 72’) at North Sydney Oval
Crowd: 7,098
Central Coast Mariners: 12. Liam REDDY (GK), 2. Storm ROUX, 3. Josh ROSE, 5. Zachary ANDERSON, 7. John HUTCHINSON (c), 8. Nick MONTGOMERY, 10. Anthony CACERES, 11. Nick FITZGERALD, 17. Richard VERNES, 19. Matt SIMON (9. Mitch DUKE 56’),, 21. Michael NEILL
Unused Substitutes: 1. Matthew NASH (GK), 15. Matt SIM, 18. Glen TRIFIRO
Yellow Cards: Roux 49’
Red Cards: Nil
Melbourne Victory: 1. Nathan COE (GK), 2. Jason GERIA (4. Nick ANSELL 49’), 6. Leigh BROXHAM, 23. Adrian LEIJER, 15. Daniel GEORGIEVSK, 21. Carl VALERI, 5. Mark MILLIGAN (c), 14. Fahid BEN KHALFALLAH (22. Jesse MAKAROUNAS 80’), 10. Archie THOMPSON (11. Connor PAIN 71’), 9. Kosta BARBAROUSES, 8. Besart BERISHA
Unused Substitutes: 20. Lawrence THOMAS (GK), 16. Rashid MAHAZI
Yellow Cards: Leijer 14’, Ansell 84′
Red Cards: Nil