Lolley heroics deliver Sydney sweet win over Victory
Anna Harrington |
Two stunning Joe Lolley strikes have catapulted Sydney FC to a 3-0 win over Melbourne Victory and the top of the A-League Men table while piling fresh pressure on their fierce rivals.
It took something special to break the stalemate in teeming rain at Leichhardt Oval and Lolley’s long-range goal in the 58th minute did just that, before he added another brilliant finish 12 minutes later.
It was the Sky Blues’ fourth win on the bounce while the heat and scrutiny on Victory boss Arthur Diles will only intensify.
Victory (1-1-3) have just one win – against lowly Perth Glory – and four goals from their opening five games.
But Lolley and his teammates were all smiles as they head into next Saturday’s derby against Western Sydney on song.
“We’re full of confidence at the moment as a team,” he told Network Ten.
“The front players, we have confidence that we’re going to keep clean sheets, and they’ve got confidence we’re going to score goals. So that flows across the team.
“It’s a great win with another clean sheet, four wins on the bounce, which, I’m not sure since I’ve been here, we’ve managed to do that.
“So we’re going in the right direction.”
The Sky Blues had 17 shots (five on target) to the Victory’s 17 (four) but the difference was Melbourne’s toothlessness compared to Sydney’s ruthlessness.
Diles dropped underperforming striker Nikos Vergos and defender Josh Rawlins for Jing Reec and Joshua Inserra.
The visitors spurned some first-half chances while Denis Genreau burst forward and forced a near-post save from Harrison Devenish-Meares in the 41st minute.
Late in the half, Sydney skipper Rhyan Grant turned a header wide before Davidson stung Devenish-Meares’ palms at the other end.
But the second half was all the home side, who took the lead when Joel King squared the ball to Lolley on the edge of the box and he lashed a first-time strike past Jack Duncan.
There was a scuffle in the 65th minute after Grant pushed Davidson into the Sydney substitutes, with Davidson and Sydney substitute Patrick Wood both booked.
Two minutes later, Davidson turned a header over the bar, while Sydney’s Piero Quispe flashed his own golden chance off-target shortly after.
Victory couldn’t find the back of the net in a scramble in the 70th minute and Sydney took it down the other end.
Lolley started the attack, receiving the ball back and rampaged through the middle of the park before fizzing it home.
Matt Grimaldi thought he’d got the away side one back three minutes later but it was ruled offside.
Sydney sealed the deal when Alex Grant brushed off Vergos to head home a Quispe corner.
Duncan spared Melbourne total humiliation with a superb save to deny Victor Campuzano in the 85th minute.
The tenth-placed Victory next travel to face Brisbane away on Friday night.
AAP
