An injury-hit Melbourne City has held on for a 2-2 draw against Sydney FC in a pulsating Hyundai A-League clash at AAMI Park on Saturday night.
Without stars Aaron Mooy, Ivan Franjic and Erik Paartalu, City absorbed some early pressure before taking a 1-0 lead to the break thanks to Aaron Hughes’ first A-League goal.
But a second half double to Sydney playmaker Milos Ninkovic – either side of Bruno Fornaroli’s header – ensured the sides would share their spoils.
The result means City remain in third, ahead of the Sky Blues on goal difference.
GOALS
1-0 Hughes (37’) - Harry Novillo whipped in a perfect in-swinging corner finding an unmarked Hughes about six yards from goal, the defender producing a brilliant glancing header into the corner of the net.
1-1 Ninkovic (53’) – George Blackwood waited for the overlapping run of Filip Holosko on the right, with the marquee man fizzing a low ball across the goal to Ninkovic, who produced a clever back-heel flick with his right foot to deceive Thomas Sorensen.
2-1 Fornaroli (60’) – Novillo was involved again, breaking free down the right and surging towards the Sydney FC box. Instead of trying to blast away from a tight angle, the Frenchman stood up a cross for Fornaroli who made no mistake with the header for his 11th goal of the season.
2-2 Ninkovic (78’) – Alex Gersbach hit a cross high and deep to the far post, with Holosko looping a header back across goal where a late-arriving Ninkovic rose highest to plant a header into the net.
TEAMS:
Melbourne City: Sorensen (gk), Millar, Hughes, Kisnorbo (c), Clisby, Melling (Trifiro 80), Eyigun (Zullo 33’), Koren, Mauk, Novillo, Fornaroli
Sydney FC: Janjetovic (gk), Grant, Ryall (c), Jurman, Gersbach, O’Neill (Dimitrijevic 73’), Tavares, Holosko, Ninkovic, Hoole (Naumoff 89’), Blackwood (Smeltz 73’)
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