El Tuna strikes twice as City beats Mariners

A double from Bruno Fornaroli helped Melbourne City to a much needed 3-1 victory against Central Coast Mariners.

Source: Getty Images

Four times the ball found the back of the net at a warm AAMI Park in a match which threatened at least twice as many goals. 

Patrick Kisnorbo, recalled to the side, headed Melbourne City into the lead before a long range effort from Nick Fitzgerald hauled the Mariners level.

However, Fornaroli's two second half goals, set up by David Williams and Paulo Retre respectively, put the result beyond doubt.

Erik Paartalu was left out of City's squad but to have a holding midfielder would have been futile in a match that was more open than a 24 hour convenience store.

Any notion of defence before attack went out the window as City and the Mariners went forward with mostly reckless abandon.

It was a big day for Paul Izzo, in for the suspended Reddy, and his first test came from an early Aaron Mooy free kick. 

Mooy warmed Izzo's palms from the dead ball situation, but from the next, the Mariners custodian had no chance.

Mooy, who is fast outgrowing the A-League, whipped in a ball from the left which found Kisnorbo, who needed no invitation to head the opening goal.

The lead lasted all of 120 seconds. 

Fitzgerald was lurking 25 metres out and when Nick Montgomery picked him out, Fitzgerald lashed a shot into the corner via the glove of Thomas Sorensen.

City's ageing 'keeper may have wondered whether he should have done better but it mattered little in the end.

Another Mooy free kick, this time from an even tighter angle, was saved by Izzo, although replays showed the ball was very close indeed to crossing the line.

Stefan Zinni shot wide when one-on-one with Izzo, before a cheeky run by Steve Kuzmanovski, curiously playing with only "Kuzi" on his shirt, threatened the Mariners again.

Still the game swung back and forth; it was more like basketball than football.

Mooy lasered a shot narrowly over the bar, before Fitzgerald nearly doubled his account with a fizzing drive that went narrowly over.

Fabio Ferreira was denied by an offside flag after he was put in by Montogmery, before Fitzgerland fizzed another shot a few inches too high. He only had one goal, but it could well have been three from the top drawer for the Mariners' No.11.

It was breathless stuff, and the half time break offered little respite. 

Williams entered the fray only a handful of minutes into the second half. Less than five minutes after his introduction, he laid one on a plate for Fornaroli.

Mooy (who else?) released Williams, and his ball into the six yard box had "goal" written all over it. Fornaroli gladly obliged.

Mitch Austin nearly levelled the score only minutes after the Mariners went behind, but his rasping volley crashed back off the crossbar.

City debutant Corey Gameiro, another returning from long term injury, could have put the game away after another delightful Mooy cross, only to head the ball into the ground and over the bar. 

The pace was breakneck, still, and with only a goal in it the game was truly up for grabs.

But Fornaroli's second, which squired through Izzo after a superb through ball by Retre, put paid to any hopes of a Mariners comeback. 

Melbourne City 3 (Kisnorbo 11', Fornaroli 53', 72')

Central Coast Mariners 1 (Fitzgerald 13') 

AAMI Park, MelbourneReferee: Chris Beath Crowd: 8400

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