Mata foul denies Victory goal in stalemate with Bulls
Joanna Guelas |
Melbourne Victory have been made to settle for a goalless A-League Men draw after a first-half score against Macarthur FC was chalked off.
Under-pressure coach Arthur Diles was left seething during Friday’s clash at Campbelltown Sports Stadium when a 45th minute goal from star Brazilian winger Santos was rubbed off because of a foul by Juan Mata.
Veteran Spanish international Mata was judged by VAR to have downed Bulls opponent Callum Talbot to help Santos gain possession.
Victory had four minutes of added-time to break the deadlock, but no-one could answer the call.
The visitors have now finished goalless in their past four games, with Diles cutting a frustrated figure in his post-match assessment.
Victory snapped a three-game losing streak, but they are last in 12th place (1-2-4).
“It doesn’t sit well, that’s for sure,” Diles said.
“There’s a goal disallowed, and I haven’t seen the replay.
“I look forward to seeing that because at the time, the ref was probably three metres away and let it go.
“If he didn’t see it live and he’s really close, it’s pretty obvious for me.”
The pressure on Victory coach Diles has been burning hot all week on the back of his side’s 1-0 away loss to Brisbane.
“That comes with playing for Melbourne Victory,” Diles said.
Macarthur, having already qualified for the ACL2 round-of-16 with a game to spare, are ninth (2-1-3), adrift of sixth-placed Wellington Phoenix on goal difference.
Already battling fatigue because of the intercontinental competition, Bulls coach Mile Sterjovski will sweat on the fitness of captain Luke Brattan.
The Bulls midfielder had suffered a left hamstring injury while passing the ball in the third minute, but opted to remain on the park.
Brattan, who looked hampered, was eventually replaced by Dongwon Ji after the break.
“We took him off as a precaution,” Sterjovski said.
“There’s quite a few things that have gone through the team (like gastro and the flu) but we’re at the other end now.
“It’s just about crossing your fingers now and hoping that nobody else gets sick while we travel.”
The first half was a grinding slog in 33-degree heat, with neither side able to make a legitimate shot on target.
Victory finally came alive in added time, with Santos having another look at goal two minutes into added time but sent his shot wide.
Louis D’Arrigo tried to take matters into his own hands and lobbed his shot over the pack, only to be denied by the post.
Mata scrambled to salvage the crumbs, but was just denied by Macarthur goalkeeper Filip Kurto.
Macarthur responded to the challenge after the break, with substitute Harry Sawyer joining the fray in the 56th minute before falling short of a headed goal in the 62nd minute.
Victory had their own star substitute in the 56th minute, with fit-again Socceroos winger Nishan Velupillay breathing new life into the contest.
Velupillay notched Victory’s first and only shot on target in the 86th minute, but it was easily saved by Kurto.
In the end, both sides managed just one shot on target apiece out of a combined total of 31 shots.
AAP
