By Anna Harrington
Emerging full-back Jordan Bos has underlined his case for a Socceroos call-up with a starring role in Melbourne City’s 1-0 A-League Men win over Central Coast.
In City’s first game since the abandoned Melbourne derby, Jamie Maclaren’s 10th goal of the season proved the difference.
Tom Glover, of Melbourne City.Credit:Getty Images
Central Coast coach Nick Montgomery was surprised Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover was allowed to face the Mariners after throwing flares during the Melbourne derby.
Glover threw two flares before the pitch invasion that resulted in the abandonment of the December 17 A-League Men clash with Melbourne Victory, including one that went back into the Victory active support area.
He was cleared to play Central Coast after recovering from concussion and a facial laceration suffered when he was hit by a metal bucket wielded by a pitch invader when Victory fans stormed AAMI Park.
Glover did not face a suspension from Football Australia for throwing flares as an independent match review panel determined they didn’t have jurisdiction to assess the incident. It was considered to have been dealt with by match officials on the night.
Montgomery was bemused to see the former Olyroos custodian between the sticks on Tuesday night.
“How he’s playing I’ll never know. I don’t think anyone expected him to play today after what happened last week. But he did and he pulled off a great save,” Montgomery told reporters.
“I like Tommy – he’s a great kid. But I told him after, I had a laugh with him after, and said ‘you must be the only person who can throw a firework and not get suspended’.”
City interim coach Rado Vidosic said the club didn’t believe Glover had deserved a suspension.
Daniel Vukovic, of the Mariners, saves a shot by City’s Jordan Bos at AAMI Park.Credit:Getty Images
“In those situations, you never know what’s going to happen,” he said. “But we don’t believe that he did anything wrong and the decision is correct.”
Vidosic praised Glover’s response to his traumatising derby experience.
“I think he was excellent today. Spotless, perfect, clean sheet for him – and he loved that,” he said.
The win put league leaders City four points clear of second-placed Western Sydney and extended fourth-placed Central Coast’s winless run in Victoria to 27 games (22 losses and five draws).
Bos, who has kept skipper Scott Jamieson out of City’s starting line-up and shapes as a potential successor to Aziz Behich with the Socceroos, was involved in the goal and impressed with several dashing runs.
“We rate him very, very highly and he’s a fantastic talent,” interim City coach Rado Vidosic said after the game.
“I think he was excellent today. He’s got so many qualities – you need many more hands to count them.
“The future is very bright for him – he’s one of the shining lights of the A-League. I don’t think that they (the Socceroos) can go wrong if they select him for the next lot of games and they need to have a good look at him.
“Not only is he a good defender, but he’s also very, very good going forward. He’s dynamic, he’s skilful, he’s left-footed, he’s big, strong powerful so everything that you need in a modern footballer, I think he’s got it.”
The Socceroos’ next games are yet to be determined, but there is an international window in March.
Bos delighted in the 20th minute when he pinched the ball off Jason Cummings and went on a wonderful weaving run through the centre of AAMI Park.
City broke the stalemate when Bos released Richard van der Venne down the left wing.
The Dutchman nicked the ball around Dan Hall then whipped a wonderful left-footed cross across goal for Maclaren to smash home at the back post.
City earned a penalty in the first minute of injury time after Hall clumsily went into van der Venne’s back, but Danny Vukovic made a strong one-handed save to deny Maclaren.
Central Coast entered the second half with renewed intensity and Tom Glover, playing 10 days after he was concussed by a metal bucket in the Melbourne derby pitch invasion, denied Michael Ruhs in the 74th.
Mariners boss Nick Montgomery lamented the call to play at 5.30pm in the heat.
The game had already been pushed back half an hour, with the A-League Women curtain raiser moved to be held after the men’s fixture. City beat Perth Glory 1-0 in that fixture.
“I don’t know why they couldn’t have pushed the game a little bit later for both sets of players,” Montgomery said.
“An extra hour and a 6.30 kickoff and an 8.30 kickoff – that would have made the game better because the first half when the sun was on the pitch, that was not nice for the players.”
In Tuesday’s other A-League Men fixture, the Newcastle Jets beat Adelaide United 1-0.
AAP
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