Harry Politidis’ first A-League Men goal has helped lift Melbourne City to a 2-0 win over Wellington, but it was a victory that came at a price as Andreas Kuen added to the injury crisis gripping Aurelio Vidmar’s side.
Finding space following a short corner routine between Kuen and Aziz Behich, Politidis placed the ball inside the far post just seven minutes into Friday evening’s contest at AAMI Park.
That early lead secured, City didn’t give the Phoenix an inch as they subsequently dominated possession and territory before Nathaniel Atkinson sealed the result in the 83rd minute.
The win moved City into what is now a logjam of teams sitting second through fifth on the table on 18 points, slotting into third, just below Macarthur FC, via goal difference.
But with only a four-day break until his side faces Western United, Vimdar was given yet further injury headaches when Kuen came off eleven minutes after he set the table for Politidis.
Only just restored to the line-up after a foot injury kept him out of their midweek draw with Central Coast, the Austrian winger grabbed his hamstring after an innocuous-looking challenge from Paulo Retre and was immediately removed.
A day prior, City had ruled Yonatan Cohen out for at least two months with an MCL injury, joining Socceroos Mat Leckie, Marco Tilio, Andrew Nabbout and Jimmy Jeggo, as well as Max Caputo, Alessandro Lopane and Jayden Necovski on the shelf.
But an anaemic Wellington couldn’t find a way to take the game to an undermanned City and their run of games without a win against their opponents at AAMI Park that began in 2013 continues.
Touching the ball in their opponent’s penalty area just twice, the visitors only managed a single shot through the contest and that effort, a 54th-minute attempt from Luke Brooke-Smith, was immediately blocked.
Source: AAP
