The AIS have clinically dispatched Melbourne Victory 2-0 in their National Youth League encounter at Kingston Heath on Saturday.
The AIS have clinically dispatched Melbourne Victory 2-0 in their National Youth League encounter at Kingston Heath on Saturday.
The AIS’s early fluidity and pace going forward paid off just 13 minutes in when Jack Green fired them into the lead, while Benjamin Garuccio pounced on a defensive error on 34 minutes to slot a deserved second.
Victory improved in the second half with Jean-Carlos Solorzano going closest, but they could not unlock the AIS, who stoutly defended their lead.
It was an impressive and disciplined display from the visitors who were rarely caught out of position and broke with pace, often capitalising on Victory errors while dictating much of the possession and tempo.
The AIS looked organised from the outset and were very well set up across the park. And despite Victory boasting the likes of Grant Brebner, Solorzano and Tom Pondeljak, it was the AIS who did all the attacking early on.
Ten minutes in, Kwabena Boahene sent his volley just over after a poor clearance from Solorzano fell invitingly for him.
It didn’t take long for Green to ram home the advantage. He was played through neatly and lashed the ball past Keegan Koulter on his left foot for the opener.
The dynamic Jacob Melling was causing all sorts of problems in the hole with his pace and power and was at the heart of many of the AIS’s attacks.
AIS keeper Paul Izzo tipped over Hernan Espindola’s header on the half-hour mark, which was really the only chance Melbourne created in the first half.
Brebner saw plenty of the ball but was often pushed side to side and failed to pierce the AIS defence with a pass.
It took the AIS until the 34th-minute mark to consolidate their advantage with opportunist Garuccio pouncing on a mix-up between defender Daniel Petrov and keeper Keegan Koulter to make it 2-0 with an easy finish.
Melling worked a great chance for himself just before the break and could have made it 3-0 in a half the AIS thoroughly dominated.
After the interval Victory coach Darren Davies made all three substitutions, including the withdrawal of Brebner.
The wheels were starting to turn for Victory, with substitute John Buceto going close before Solorzano spurned a guilt-edged chance.
The striker was played in by a beautiful flighted ball from Pondeljak to the heart of the six yard box. Solorzano made good ground to get on the end of it but inexplicably skewed his shot wide with the net gaping.
Pondeljak was forced off through injury late in the second half with both sides creating little in the dying embers of the match.
Melbourne Victory 0
AIS 2 (Green 13, Garuccio 34)
