Melbourne Victory suffered a 3-2 loss to Western United in a Hyundai A-League thriller at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
Summary
Ola Toivonen and Kristijan Dobras scored in the opening seven minutes for Victory before Western United fought back.
An Alessandro Diamanti goal and James Donachie own goal brought the visitor level before Scott McDonald’s 51st-minute winner.
Victory made a dream start, scoring twice in the space of two minutes through Toivonen and Dobras.
Toivonen curled a brilliant strike into the bottom corner from 30 yards after receiving a Dobras pass in the sixth minute.
Just a minute later, Toivonen teed up Dobras, whose low effort was deflected and found the bottom corner to make it 2-0.
After Victory goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas pushed away a Diamanti free-kick, the Italian pulled a goal back for Western United with a strike from the edge of the area.
Western United equalised before the half-hour mark, a header across the face of goal from Josh Risdon going in off Donachie.
The visitor almost took the lead five minutes before half-time, McDonald’s long-range effort bouncing off the post.
At the other end, Brandon Lauton – making his Hyundai A-League debut – bent a strike over the crossbar from a Storm Roux cross as the teams went into the break level after an absorbing opening 45 minutes.
McDonald put Western United ahead early in the second half, the forward’s shot deflecting into the corner to make it 3-2.
Thomas made a low save to deny McDonald 10 minutes after the break before Victory almost equalised, Thomas Deng heading a Migjen Basha free-kick wide.
Victory put the pressure on as it searched for an equaliser and Kenny Athiu headed an Adama Traore cross wide in the 77th minute.
Another Basha free-kick caused problems six minutes later, but Donachie steered his header wide as Victory squandered late chances at an equaliser.
Player in focus
Key moment
What they said – Toivonen
on the game…
“We started really good. We knew that if we win the ball in certain areas we can punish them. After the 2-0, we get a little bit comfortable I think. We concede three goals, it’s three goals but we can do much better.”
Result
Hyundai A-League 2019/20 Round 4
Melbourne Victory 2 (Ola Toivonen 6′, Kristijan Dobras 7′)
Western United 3 (Alessandro Diamanti 16′, James Donachie 29′ og, Scott McDonald 51′)
Melbourne Victory: Thomas (gk); Roux, Deng, Donachie, Traore (Brown 85′); Basha, Broxham; Lauton (Poulsen 79′), Dobras (Athiu 67′), Kamsoba; Toivonen (c).
Western United: Kurto (gk); Chapman, Durante, Gulum; Risdon, Kone, Jertec, Diamanti (c) (Calver 90+3′), Pain; Berisha (Pierias 89′), McDonald (Burgess 80′).
Yellow cards: Pain 11′, Risdon 75′, Jertec 82′, Berisha 89′
Red cards: Nil
Attendance: TBA
Venue: Marvel Stadium
Next up
Victory hosts Wellington Phoenix at AAMI Park on Sunday, November 10. Get tickets here!
