Melbourne Victory went top of the National Youth League after a 5-0 win over the Australian Institute of Sport at SS Anderson Reserve.
Melbourne Victory went top of the National Youth League after a 5-0 win over the Australian Institute of Sport at SS Anderson Reserve.
Victory scored three times in the opening 21 minutes with Connor Pain grabbing a brace after Christopher Cristaldo’s drive.
Veteran Spase Dilevski scored the fourth just after half time before captain Luke O’Dea rounded off the scoring with seconds to spare.
The AIS started well and maintained possession early with some quality short passes keeping Victory on their toes.
But it didn’t take long for Victory to get the better of their opponents, as they pressed hard and constantly created chances for most of the match.
After threatening regularly from wide positions, Victory grabbed an early lead on 14 minutes when Cristaldo fired into the roof of the net from a tight angle after a deft one-two with O’Dea.
Minutes later after substitute John Buceto side-footed on to the crossbar, the home side went further ahead. O’Dea overlapped down the right side and his low cross was hammered past AIS keeper Andre Jannese by Pain.
Pain was a constant threat down the left and scored his second with a low finish past Jannese after working his way around three defenders.
The AIS had their first effort mid-way through the half as Bright Appiah jinked past a couple of defenders but his rising shot was claimed by Victory custodian Luke Radonich.
Under the intense pressure, the visitors survived the onslaught until half-time as Victory continued to attack relentlessly down both flanks.
Eight minutes into the second half, Victory had their fourth when Dilevski slotted into the bottom left corner after Cristaldo’s back-heel.
Despite the regular threat on the AIS goal, Victory couldn’t breach Jannese’s goal until stoppage time when O’Dea finished from Dylan Murnane’s cross.
The win sent Victory to the top of the table, ahead of Central Coast on goal difference while the AIS remain rooted to the bottom without a point.
Melbourne Victory 5 (Cristaldo 14, Pain 19, 21, Dilevski 52, O’Dea 90+4)
Australian Institute of Sport 0
Melbourne Victory: 1. Luke Radonich (GK) (20. Phillip Petrovski (GK) 45), 2. Matthew Foschini (19. Kwabena Boahene 45), 3. Nick Ansell, 4. Jason Geria, 5. Dylan Murnane, 6. Spase Dilevski, 7. Christopher Cristaldo, 8. James Jeggo (14. Luc Jeggo 45), 9. Luke O’Dea (c), 10. Connor Pain (11. John Buceto 72), 11. John Buceto (12. Julius Davies 62)
Australian Institute of Sport: 2. Darcy Madden, 4. Ben Warland (14. Jack Iredale 90), 5. Matthew Schmidt (6. Matthew Ntoumenopulos 64) , 8. Joshua Barresi, 9. Todd Norris, 14. Jack Iredale (13. Jeremy Tshongo 60), 15. Scott Galloway (c), 18. Alexander Gersbach, 19. Bright Appiah (21. Dylan Pickert 31), 20. Andre Jannese (GK), 22. Liam Rose
