Mere days after coach Patrick Kisnorbo walked out, Melbourne Victory have salvaged a comeback 1-1 draw with arch-rivals Melbourne City, but spurned a chance to go top of the A-League Men.
Yonatan Cohen handed City the lead on Saturday night with a wonderful finish in the 17th minute at AAMI Park but Victory equalised when Roderick Miranda pounced on a goalkeeping error from Patrick Beach in the 65th.
Beach, backed in by coach Aurelio Vidmar after a howler that cost City victory against Auckland FC last week, pulled off several big saves including denying Bruno Fornaroli a winner in the 79th minute.
Former City boss Kisnorbo quit Victory on Sunday, with his departure announced two days later, and assistant Arthur Diles named interim coach.
His side had 23 shots (eight on target) to City’s 11 (five) and will feel they dropped two points.
Victory (17 points) could have leapfrogged leaders Auckland FC (19) on goal difference but instead sit third, between Adelaide United (18) and City (14).
Backed in by Diles, Reno Piscopo was superb, while City’s Cohen gave Victory plenty of headaches.
Steven Ugarkovic cracked a shot wide in the 13th minute and three minutes later brilliantly launched a cross-field ball into the path of Cohen.
The Israeli winger left Kasey Bos in his wake, then drove a wonderful rising shot past Jack Duncan.
Cohen ran to the Victory fans, shushing them before throwing out his arms in celebration as his teammates mobbed him.
Victory should have equalised almost immediately when Arzani cut the ball back for Jordi Valadon, but the midfielder slipped and turned his shot off target.
In the 28th minute, Beach made a terrific diving save from a Zinedine Machach shot, one of several good Victory chances.
Victory kept their foot down and in first-half added time, Beach saved a thumping Ryan Teague strike.
Medin Memeti should have doubled City’s lead three minutes after the break but turned his a golden chance wide.
Diles turned to Fornaroli and Nishan Velupillay, on his return from injury, just after the hour mark.
Minutes later, Fornaroli forced another big Beach save.
Victory scored when Beach failed to claim a Teague corner and in the subsequent chaos, Miranda scrambled home.
Beach was adamant he had been fouled by Machach but the goal stood.
Velupillay hit the post in the 77th while Beach denied Fornaroli with an incredible diving save two minutes later.
Callum Talbot forced a spectacular stop from Duncan with a fierce long-range effort in the 82nd.
In the 94th minute, Kai Trewin and Beach combined to stop Fornaroli, after he’d been slipped through by Velupillay.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/soccer/victory-city-fight-out-derby-draw-after-kisnorbo-exit-c-17161132
