They’re the department of youth, they have the power.
If any A-League club can best epitomise the Alice Cooper classic it’s Melbourne City.
This youth brigade was instrumental as City defeated the Newcastle Jets to move within four points off top spot in a big 3-0 win at AAMI Park.
In the absence of striker Bruno Fornaroli the duo of Riley McGree and Lachlan Wales stood up in a match which would have given City fans plenty of optimism for the future, in addition to some breathing room on the table.
It appears City achieved the perfect balance between youth and experience in their performance. Ritchie De Laet and Luke Brattan in particular shone brightly as they fulfilled their roles tonight as the experienced heads with Brattan scoring the second and De Laet playing Wales through for City’s third.
Not having Fornaroli leading the lines for the second consecutive week was going to be difficult for City who, like the Jets, named a line up without a recognised striker. Albeit City were not without firepower as they very quickly put the visitors to the sword and rectified last week’s shock loss.
Riley McGree, who was named man of the match, is leading the charge in City’s department of youth and in similar fashion to the Melbourne derby, he needed little time to make an impact volleying a goal worthy of a thousand replays.
McGree looked right at home in just his fifth league appearance for Melbourne City and is someone manager Warren Joyce has been impressed with.
“We’ve given him a couple of different roles this year and he has shown he has a goal in him,” Joyce said.
“He gave [Newcastle] constant problems when he had the ball and he deserved his goal.”
Joyce believes one of McGree’s strength’s is his ability to win many one-on-one’s which makes him a very dangerous player.
“If you’ve got players who are good at one-on-one’s it gives the opposition big problems,” Joyce said.
While both teams were without a recognised striker it was Melbourne City who best adapted to this through attacking players like McGree and Wales, with the latter scoring his inaugural A-League goal in the 75th minute to put the game to bed.
“It’s good [Joyce] gives the young boys a chance and believes in youth football,” Wales said.
“I really like working for the gaffer, if you work hard he’ll give you an opportunity but not just one chance but two or three to prove yourself.”
“He instils a lot of confidence into the boys.”
Wales spent most of the match playing as a striker in contrast to his regular role out wide and believes this freedom in the attacking third played a significant role in him scoring his first professional goal.
“It is pretty natural to roam around a bit and pick a weakness the centre backs may have,” Wales said.
“The goal was purely based on my speed, getting in behind the defence and finishing it off.”
This performance very much announces the pair as the new kids on the block and the new partners in crime within City’s attacking third.
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