Hot In The City - and Boiling On The Pitch

Mitch Langerak experienced the fervour of a Melbourne derby for the first time in a hot blooded clash that delivered a terrific contest where honours were eventually even.

Every game needs an early goal and none more so than a derby match.

Not that Melbourne Victory goalkeeper Mitch Langerak, playing in his first ever Melbourne derby, would probably agree after he had to pick the ball out of his net barely five minutes into his first ever meeting with local rivals Melbourne City.

Having returned to the club where he made his name, this was an entirely new A-League experience for the now veteran as there was no Melbourne Heart, Melbourne City or Western United when the then kid from Queensland began his professional career back in the mists of time - in the early years of the A-League when Archie Thompson was terrorising defences, Kevin Muscat organising title winning Victory teams on the pitch while Ernie Merrick was standing impassively on the sidelines.

It was a journey that would take him to Japan and Germany and a storied career as a Socceroo shot stopper, but that - as it should - counted for little as these two teams met on Saturday night for the 47th time in a match that was freighted with significance given the results earlier in the day.

Auckland had thumped Wellington to stretch their lead at the top of the table to eight points and Western Sydney crashed into the top four with their easy win over Central Coast, ensuring that neither of these two sides, nor second placed Adelaide, could take anything for granted.

It is always a fixture to savour, and while it was hot in the city as temperatures soared on a searing summer day it was even hotter on the pitch as these two sides went at each other with intensity and commitment from the very first whistle.

More than local rivalry was at stake here of course, given that Auckland would seem to have a lock on top spot: whichever Australian side finishes second on the ladder will get the chance to qualify for the elite Asian Champions League spot afforded to Australia - and Victory would hate for that to be taken by City, who in turn would be mortified if Victory put themselves in pole position for the slot.

Langerak received a warm reception from the terraces and on the field but he was unable to do anything to stop Marco Tilio's excellent finish from the right after Mat Leckie had dummied a Max Caputo cross to leave Tilio free in space. Less than five minutes had gone and it was advantage City.

That was the perfect recipe for a game that started at a warm pace and just got quicker as the crowd lifted its intensity, the players responding in kind.

Plety has been said and written about the travails of the A-League this season - this week Commisioner Nick Garcia departed to little fanfare - as clubs struggle financially and crowds at many venues have disappointed.

But that is not the case every where and certainly on the pitch the competition continues to deliver, with the energy and enthusiasm of the many young players who have been given a chance ensuring close and fiercely contested matches.

Both these teams might have bright young things in the starting line up, but they have plenty of grizzled veterans from European leagues in their ranks too, and for Victory Zinedine Machach continues to show the benefit of his experience as a journeyman in Italy, France, the Netherlands and Hungary.

The 29-year-old is the fulcrum of Arthur Diles team and his prompting and invention helped get his side back into contention after City had made the early running, with Austrian forward Andreas Kuen performing a similar role for the light blues as they looked to capitalise on that one goal advantage.

Machach showed his coolness just seconds before the break when, after a VAR intervention, he slotted home a penalty after Nikos Vergos went down under a German Ferrayra challenge. Such was the passion that this game was generating that Aziz Behich, City's veteran Socceroo defender, stood over the prone Vergos, berating him for the theatrical nature of his tumble.

No matter, it just added spice to a match that already had plenty of bite - which only increased soon after the restart when Victory's Brazilian winger Clarismario Santos Rodrigues finished beautifully after escaping Behich's attentions, driving past Patrick Beach with an angled shot.

The goal was lovely, the celebration even more spectacular as Santos somersaulted and back flipped, bouncing with the sort of verve and energy that few of us could manage, even if we were able to gain buoyancy from a trampoline!

City, however, gritted their collective teeth and got themselves back into the game from the penalty spot, this time, however, with a decision that needed no back up from the VAR officials.

Ironically - or appropriately, depending on your sense of humour - Behich was heavily involved, his surging run into the opposition penalty area inelegantly ended by a late and clumsy challenge by Roderick Miranda.

The Brazilian had his heart in his mouth as he had been booked earlier but, despite the entreaties of the City players, no second card was forthcoming.

Kai Trewin has nothing like Machach's experience, but the 23 year old defender showed he could match the Frenchman for nerve in a febrile atmosphere as he drove past the sprawling Langerak to level the score.

And that's how it was to stay : neither side won, but neither lost either. This was one of those games in front of a big passionate crowd, who were entertained by two committed teams who left nothing out on the pitch - the sort of game that illustrates how much the A-League, and these two teams, have to offer.