Alex Brosque opening his ledger for the 2009-2010 season and when Mark Bridge added two strikes, Melbourne was all but done. Sydney FC produced a dominant display, one that certainly gave evidence for the standing on top of the A-League ladder.
For Melbourne, the triple-strike within a five minute period early in the opening stanza was enough to quel not only the fans, but the team itself. There was nothing 100-game coach Ernie Merrick could do this night as Melbourne was just outplayed.
Yet, Melbourne could not say they had chances, but too many wayward attempts meant that Sydney custodian Clint Bolton was untroubled for most of the night. The first shot on target by Melbourne was not until the 73rd minute, nearly an hour after their opponents had netted three.
At least for the fans the night got off to an enthusiastic and colourful start. To celebrate U-Nite, recognising the cultural diversity of Melbourne, its fans and the players, there were a series of events prior to kickoff.
A lion dance, flag waving, South American and African dancers, a pipe trio and kettle drums, the latter to welcome the two teams as they entered the field. Along with the traditional fireworks, the record crowd for the season were well entertained.
In the opening ten minutes it was Sydney who were on the back foot, the Melbourne players keen to put up a good showing not only for the big crowd, but also for Merrick, the first to coach 100 games in the A-League and with one team.
A number of mis-understandings led to Victory having chances, but as with most of the night, these were spurned, with Bolton not called into duty. It was to be the downfall of the home team. Lest to say that the man-of-the-mathc performance by Sydney's best player this season, Simon Colosimo, helped to keep the attack force of Archie Thompson and Ney Fabiano at bay.
As within minutes the hurt began. Just before the clock turned 15, Sydney struck. Colosimo, involved unusually in attack, connected with Sung-Hwan Byun down the left and sent in a wel-weighted cross for Alex Brosque to rise above both Leigh Broxham and Matthew Kemp to glance his header past Glenn Moss.
Within a minute the shocked crowd were dubfounded. Terry McFlynn's superb pass found the other Sydney forward, Mark Bridge. He turned Rodrigo Vargas inside out before sending a low left foot shot inside the right upright.
And that was not all. Within five more minutes, the game was all but over. Shannon Cole had been released down the right and his cross went over the near post attack by Brosque, but not that of Bridge who found a delicate touch to divert the ball past Moss.
The crowd was completely stunned, that is except for the meager 150 or so Sydney faithful who had made the now well-worthwhile trip south. Even the singing that we know Melbourne to be famous for was unusually missing.
McFlynn could have added to the misery only a minute later, but he just over-ran a cross from Bridge and thus watched as his attempt balooned over the bar. Cole also had a long shot skim the top netting on the half-hour mark. Such was the dominance of the visitors.
Yet amongst all this one Victory player did appear to stand out. Fabiano was generally all over the park, winning balls in the midfield and also winning headers in attack, something his teammates were unable to take advantage of. He was a small shining light amidst the darkness of the Melbourne effort in the opening half. Thus as the whistle went for the break, so did the boos from the crowd.
Sydney opened the second half as they had finihed the first. Cole again watched as an opportunity went agonisingly wide. Then something awoke the Melbourne effort, and Sydney appeared to be relaxing on their lead.
Five minutes in Thompson headed a corner wide and he pused another chance, a cross from Carlos Hernandez, into the side netting on 66 minutes. Yet another appeared for the striker four mintues hence, but his acrobatic volley went over.
Then on 73 minutes, Melbourne finally gave Bolton some work, but the Sydney keeper was up to it. A Grant Brebner long shot flew through a crowd of players and Bolton strongly palmed the ball away to safety allowing for his defence to clear the danger.
Thompson had another chance not long after but with room and no real pressure he sent the ball wide instead of threatening Bolton's goal.
Then Adrian Leijer should have done better when he honed on a loose ball at the far boast sending his shot well wide.
That was it for the Victory and their second goaless defeat of the season at home. It propelled Sydney further ahead in the league as well and strengthened their claim as the best of the 2009-10 season. There is plenty of matches to be played, but if Sydney can continue in this vein, they will be hard to beat.