A Manny Muscat spectacular gave Melbourne City their first win in five weeks as they came from behind to beat Newcastle Jets 2-1 at McDonalds Jones Stadium on Saturday evening.
Ben Kantarovski – 6
Kantarovski perhaps didn’t have his most prominent game in comparison to others this season but still thrived in mopping up in front of his defence.
Steven Ugarkovic – 7
Controlling the game from midfield, he constantly drives the game forward. On the downside, Melbourne City’s counter-attacks penetrated the Jet’s half easily and Ugarkovic could’ve done better to screen his defence earlier but recovered when sitting at the top of his penalty area.
Dimi Petratos – 7
Where Ugarkovic drives the game from the middle, Petratos sets the tempo. Newcastle’s quick passes, little knock-ons and shot-taking are led by Petratos when he’s in the vicinity. He loves a long-ranged dig but does struggle to keep them low. His impact tapered as the second half wore on.
Joey Champness – 6
Very busy in the opening stages. He’s composed and shows skills in trying to beat a man, while his size-to-speed ratio made him a big threat but must be careful with giving away needless fouls. He was virtually unsighted in the second half and was taken off.

Jason Hoffman – 7
Has become very well acclimatised to his more advanced role. His runs are generally wide, but when he cuts inside it causes City defenders to jump quickly. He had a few Bambi moments, slipping in the wet conditions and collapsing to the ground in a bundle of limbs. His control let him down at times.
Andrew Nabbout – 8
Even though it originated from a City error, Nabbout’s goal was the product of hard work as he anticipated the ball quickly and held off a much larger Bart Schenkeveld to take the shot. He became more involved in general play with some sweet passes and smart shooting after that.
Mario Shabow – 5
Was introduced in the 72nd minute for Champness. A livewire, he plays as a striker and allows Nabbout into midfield for a change of strategy searching for another goal. Unfortunately for Newcastle it never came.
Devante Clut – N/A
Didn’t have enough of an impact.
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