BY AHMED YUSSUF

Melbourne Victory solidified their place atop of the PS4 NPL1 East league table beating second placed Moreland Zebras 3-2 away from home.

Victory opened proceedings with goal from Joey Katebian in the first half, but the visitors were pegged back after Danny Charalambous dispatched a penalty late in the first half.

Victory came back in a big way in the second period with George Howard and Jordan Brown finding the net.

This afternoon’s game was a special one for young attacker Danny Charalambous who paid respect to his late grandmother with a minute of silence before kick-off.

The youngster was in the thick of it from first whistle, pouncing upon Victory’s shaky defence.

Charalambous picked up the scraps from a Victory defensive giveaway to take a strike inside area. But the Zebras’ number 10 wasn’t able to find the target.

Baggio Yousif got in the act as well. Driving shot from outside the box that was nervously cleared off the goal line.

However, Victory opened the scoring from the run of play after the Zebras’ flurry of chances from both Charalambous and Yousif.

Fullback Christian Cavallo put through forward Joey Katebian. The Victory captain finished with ease to put NPL1 league-leaders ahead with their first shot on goal.

Victory was beginning to show their attacking prowess. But captain Mile Medjedovic showed his weight in gold at the back, stopping the visitors from finding a second shortly after.

Charalambous was making a nuisance of himself at the other end. Trying a speculative lobbing effort on goal that flickered wide of the goalmouth.

On the stroke of half time the Zebras’ were thrown a lifeline, the referee pointed to the spot after a corner kick in the penalty area.

Young Charalambous stood up to take the spot kick and finished with ease to equalise for the home side.

The second half started with a bang for the Zebras’. Attacker Papadimitriou burst forward with a shot that hit the upright and come back out of goal. After premature Zebras’ celebrations referee disallows the goal.

Victory hit back with chances of their own, scoring two goals in the space of less than five minutes.

John Maclean found space out wide to cut across a pass to George Howard, who cleverly timed his run. The attacker neatly hit his shot into the back of the net.

Substitute Jordan Brown made it three with a cracking long-rangestrikebeating Zebras’ ‘keeper Kostadinovski.

Zebras’ unearthed some life late on pulling a goal back.

Josh Sabidussi got in behind the Victory defence. Shot-stopper Chant came out to sweep the danger, but Sabidussi cunningly engineered a lovely lob to beat young ‘keeper.

Zebras’ mounted pressure to find that elusive equaliser.

Chant would redeem his earlier mistake with a heroic reflex save to keep out the Zebras’ attacking rearguard.

Zebras’ had one final bite at the cherry with Papadimitriou, but his shot narrowly missed the far post.

MATCH DETAILS 

Moreland Zebras 1 (Charalambous (p) 45’, Sabidussi 74’) defeated by Melbourne Victory 3 (Katebian 9’, Howard 58’, Brown 61’) at CB Smith Reserve, Fawkner

Moreland Zebras:1. Nikola KOSTADINOVSKI, 2. Simon SYMEOY, 15. William NUTALL, 16. Mile MEDJEDOVIC, 13. Lucas RUFFINO (3. Johnny CRIVELLI 85’), 24. Joshua SABIDUSSI (7. Kliment DIMITRIESKI 85’), 8. Joshua McMONAGLE-IHASZ, 19. James KELLY, 10. Danny CHARALAMBOUS, 11. Baggio YOUSIF (12. Bradley MURRAY 72’), 14. James PAPADIMITRIOU

Unused Subs:21. Alex STOJANOVSKI, 23. Joshua BERRIOS

Yellow Cards: 16. Mile MEDJEDOVIC 90’

Red Cards: Nil

Melbourne Victory: 1. Wyatt CHANT, 19. Reece CALDECOURT, 5. Damien MISKULIN, 3. Milos RIDESIC, 8. Anthony DUZEL (12. Jordan BROWN 56’),17.George Howard (4. Pierre WARING 90’), 6.Stefan NIGRO, 10. Kieran DOVER, 18. Christian CAVALLO, 9. Joey KATEBIAN, 11. John MACLEAN (13. Lucas DERRICK 68’)

Unused substitutes: 20, Andre JANNESE, 16. Patrick AVICE

Yellow card(s): 19. Reece CALDECOURT 48’

Red card(s): Nil