Box Hill United were left to rue missed opportunities as a clinical Victory earned a 2-0 win at Wembley Park on Sunday afternoon.
Summary
Brandon Lauton had a hand in both goals, scoring the opener after a mad scramble in the goalmouth in the 16th minute and setting up Jack Palazzolo for Victory’s second moments later.
It was a pinpoint cross from the right that Palazzolo gratefully buried into the bottom corner with a sweetly struck volley.
Box Hill will feel hard done by, however, after striking the upright and having the ball cleared off the line just before the interval.
The hosts looked to reduce the arrears after the restart but Majak Mawith stood firm against a flurry of shots to ensure Victory would run out the game with a two goal buffer.
Head Coach Gareth Naven:
“I thought we deserved to win. The boys worked really hard and put in superb effort. They were exhausted when they came off and that’s a good thing.
The ball did come through our box a few times and we were fortunate that Box Hill didn’t capitalise on that. There are definitely things we need to work on because usually those chances for the opposition came from a bad touch or pass that we created.
In every game you ride your luck a little bit but, in saying that, down the other end we punished them.”
Under-20s
Victory’s Under-20s extended their winning run away from home, downing Box Hill United 2-0.
NPL2 West 2018 Round 24
Box Hill United 0
Melbourne Victory 2 (Brandon Lauton 16′, Jack Palazzolo 19′)
Melbourne Victory: Majak Mawith, Luke Goulding, Maker Maker, Aaron Anderson, So Nishikawa, Nicholas Hatzigeorgiou, Brandon Lauton, Brady Quinn, Jack Palazzolo, Jack Morton, Yazid Said.
Subs: Luka Romic, Liston Diaz, Nicholas Hamakiotis, Matthew Bozinovski.
Next week
Victory hit the road again next week, playing St Albans Saints at Churchill Reserve on Sunday, August 12.
