Melbourne Victory continued its undefeated start to the 2014 pre-season campaign with an impressive 5-0 win over NPL side Port Melbourne on Tuesday night.
Despite missing stars Gui Finkler and Besart Berisha to A-League All Stars duties and Scott Galloway and Jordan Brown through Young Socceroos commitments, Victory still fielded a strong starting line-up with Andrew Nabbout leading an impressive attacking quartet.
The match started in a familiar fashion as Victory continued to press high and created several good opportunities.
Press play on the video below to watch all the goals and highlights from the clash.
Kosta Barbarouses was the first to test the Port ‘keeper from range before both Nabbout and Connor Pain missed good opportunities.
Victory finally broke the deadlock in the 24th minute after Nabbout was bundled over in the penalty area following a neat exchange of passes with Barbarouses.
Acting captain Leigh Broxham stepped up to take the penalty, and sent the Port keeper the wrong way, placing it into the bottom right corner for his second goal of the pre-season.
Port managed to steady the ship for the remainder of the first 40 minute half, keeping Victory to only a few clear-cut chances as the sides went in 1-0.
Kevin Muscat made two changes at the break with Nick Ansell and Lawrence Thomas replacing Jason Geria and Nathan Coe.
Ansell had a good opportunity to score at the start of the second half after a cutback from Barbarouses found him charging into the box, but he could only hit the side netting.
Port Melbourne came close to equalising in the second half with a penalty awarded, however the decision was overturned after the striker was deemed to have been offside in the build-up.
Victory’s second goal came in spectacular style in the 53rd minute when Nabbout was found on the left side of the box just metres from the touchline. He then struck a powerful left foot volley across goal into the top right corner.
Shortly after Victory added a third when Barbarouses accurately crossed in a free kick from the right to find a towering Leijer, who powered the header home.
Jesse Makarounas, who came on midway through the second half nearly made an immediate impact when, after cutting in from the left wing, stuck a long-range drive that flew over the ‘keeper but thundered into the right upright.
It was Nabbout who continued the scoring in the 81st minute after beating the offside trap leaving him one-on-one with the Port ‘keeper, before he neatly curled the ball into the right side of the net for his second.
Victory’s fifth came just minutes later when Pain again got in behind the Port defence. Pain then coolly slid the ball past the Port ‘keeper’s left glove and into the net to close out an emphatic win for Victory.
Melbourne Victory 5 (Broxham 24’ (pen), Nabbout 53’, 81’, Leijer 58’, Pain 83’)
Port Melbourne 0
