A-League Review: Maccarone penalty miss lets victorious Melbourne City off the hook

Melbourne City remain within touching distance of second-placed Newcastle Jets in the A-League thanks to a 2-1 win at Brisbane Roar, who rued Massimo Maccarone’s late penalty failure.

In a thoroughly entertaining encounter, Maccarone opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a bullet header which gave Dean Bouzanis no chance in the City goal.

Brisbane were not ahead for long, however, as Marcin Budzinksi levelled five minutes later with a neat finish after latching onto a perfectly weighted throughball from Daniel Arzani.

The visitors then spurned two excellent chances to move ahead, teenager Arzani firing just wide and seeing a header cleared off the line by Maccarone.

City’s persistence eventually paid off just after the hour, as Stefan Mauk headed home Budzinski’s brilliant cross from close range.

The hosts should have rescued a point 11 minutes from time when Fahid Ben Khalfallah was clumsily tripped by Michael Jakobsen, but Maccarone’s woeful effort was easily saved by Bouzanis and City held on to go back to within four points of the Jets.

.@MelbourneCity extend their unbeaten run to six matches. #ALeague #PlayFootball #BRIvMCY

Highlights: https://t.co/dGzFy3IT9t pic.twitter.com/Sma0MQ94sY

— Hyundai A-League (@ALeague) February 4, 2018

Brisbane dropped out of the play-off places to the benefit of Western Sydney Wanderers, who won 2-1 away to Central Coast Mariners in the day’s early kick-off.