Melbourne City battled to a hard-earned draw on New Year’s Eve as our mounting injury crisis deepened.
In a classic ‘tale of two halves,’ City dominated the opening 45 minutes and went into the break with a deserved lead thanks to Samuel Souprayen’s header.
However, Central Coast responded in the second half, levelling the match to ensure the points were shared.
Team News
Despite having a 10-day break, Head Coach Aurelio Vidmar made just one enforced change to his starting lineup.
As forecast the day prior, Andreas Kuen was sidelined with a foot injury, prompting Callum Talbot to return to the XI. This reshuffle saw Nathaniel Atkinson step into a midfield role.
Starting XI: 33. Patrick BEACH (GK), 2. Callum TALBOT, 27. Kai TREWIN, 26. Samuel SOUPRAYEN, 16. Aziz BEHICH (C), 19. Zane SCHREIBER, 13. Nathaniel ATKINSON, 6. Steven UGARKOVIC, 10. Yonatan COHEN, 38. Harry POLITIDIS, 35. Medin MEMETI.
Substitutes: 1. Jamie YOUNG (GK), 22. Germán FERREYRA, 41. Lawrence WONG, 42. Ben DUNBAR, 46. Ben MAZZEO, 47. Kavian RAHMANI, 50. Mikey GHOSSAINI.
What happened?
City began the game strongly, dictating the tempo through controlled possession and a solid midfield performance from Zane Schreiber and Nathaniel Atkinson.
The first clear opportunity came in the 22nd minute when Talbot delivered a superb cross into the box. Harry Politidis stretched to meet it but was just inches away from making contact.
City broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute from a well-executed set piece. Yonatan Cohen delivered a pinpoint ball into the area, and Souprayen rose high to guide a header into the bottom corner.
The first-half stats told the story of City’s dominance: 71% possession and four shots to none from the Mariners. However, the half ended on a sour note when Cohen was forced off with a knee injury, further depleting City’s attacking options.
The second half saw a resurgent Mariners side test City early. Substitute Will Wilson forced Patrick Beach into a diving save in the 55th minute, his first major intervention of the night.
By the 65th minute, the match had flipped completely, with the Mariners registering four shots to City’s none in the second half. Their persistence paid off when Nathan Paull headed home the equaliser, restoring parity as the clock ticked toward the final 20 minutes.
City responded with determination, pushing for a winner despite fielding a youthful and inexperienced lineup, particularly in the attacking third.
Captain Aziz Behich tried to inspire his team, surging forward and unleashing a powerful shot that was blocked by Brian Kaltak.
Substitute Germán Ferreyra nearly delivered a moment of magic with an acrobatic bicycle kick, only for the effort to be cleared off the line.
Late in the match, 17-year-old Academy product Mikey Ghossaini made his senior debut, adding another positive milestone to the evening.
Despite City’s late push, the game ended level, with both teams taking a point from the encounter.
What’s next?
City now returns to Melbourne for a challenging run of fixtures.
We’ll kick off a stretch of three home games in eight days, starting with Wellington Phoenix this Friday night. Don’t miss the action – get your tickets now!
