Victory take spoils against Mariners
Posted
Updated
Archie Thompson (r) scored a goal and set up another as the Victory skipped two games clear at the top of the table (Getty Images: Mark Dadswell)
A masterful performance from Archie Thompson inspired Melbourne's 2-1 win over Central Coast in Friday night's round 12 top-of-the-table A-League match-up at Docklands.
Thompson scored one goal, made another and was the difference between the two sides as the Victory skipped two games clear at the top of the competition ladder.
After setting up Melbourne's opening goal to Tom Pondeljak to ensure the home side went to the break 1-1, Thompson scored his eighth goal in 10 matches against the Mariners after 60 minutes to secure the three competition points for Ernie Merrick's men.
The win moves Melbourne to seven wins and two draws from 11 matches, two wins clear of the Mariners and Adelaide, and Thompson said the team was aware of the importance of the match.
"The guys fought hard," he told Fox Sports after the match.
"We knew if we won the match we put another buffer between the other teams and it was another fantastic [effort] from the supporters."
Thompson said he was pleased with his own performance, but paid special tribute to strike partner Pondeljak, who moved to the Victory from Central Coast at the start of the season.
"To get an assist and score a goal, I'm just grateful it went into the back of the net," he said.
"We're starting to gel, it's taken a few matches but Tommy was great today.
"We knew we had to win the ball up in their half and we knew if we did that we'd get an opportunity straight away.
"I put the ball there but Tommy had to finish it, that was the hard part.
"It wasn't just me it was a team effort today, and I wouldn't be in the goal-scoring position if it wasn't for the other boys."
First blood to Mariners
John Hutchinson handed Central Coast the advantage in the 34th minute when his long-range free kick spectacularly found the back of the net after an apparent misread from Victory goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos.
Lining up from 35 metres out, Hutchinson launched his kick over a group of players jostling in the box and somehow snuck it past the hands of Theoklitos for a 1-0 lead.
But the Mariners' lead was short-lived as the Victory struck back just three minutes later after some neat work from Thompson in midfield.
Thompson, who earlier squandered a great chance when he failed to beat shot-stopper Danny Vukovic in a one-on-one contest, delivered a perfect flick infield close to the box for Pondeljak to hammer home a volley against his old side and square the scores.
Both sides wasted several chances in the opening half-hour, with 15 shots at goal in total for the half and a total of five saves between the two 'keepers.
It was a similar story at the start of the second stanza, before Thompson broke the game open with his 34th A-League goal on the hour-mark.
After a superb ball from Billy Celeski put Thompson in open pastures, he did not repeat his mistake of the first half and outmanoeuvred Vukovic before delivering a cool left-foot finish into the net.
Melbourne 2 (T Pondeljak '37, A Thompson '60)
Central Coast 1 (J Hutchinson '34)
Search for news
ABC News Online takes a look at the big stories from 2008.
