Sydney 0 Melbourne 1

Sydney FC only have themselves to blame!

And I agree that Mark Shields ruined the match and probably shouldn't have sent Stevie Corica off in the 25th minute, but then again...

Corica gave Shields a choice. Corica was fouled and raised his studs into Steve Pantalidis and with Shields standing right in front Corica was gone.

The game changed on that one tackle.

And not for the first time Sydney FC's ill-discipline has caught them out. Remember Ruben Zadkovich in East Java in the Asian Champions League, Alex Brosque at Newcastle just to name a couple.

And of course Steve Corica has been done before.

And ill-discipline lets the side down, the fans down and ruins the spectacle.

Shield was wrong but Corica forced the issue.

Until then the game was even, with Sydney the more inventive.

Victory have a pattern and although adventurous with three upfront, it ain't pretty. Not by a long way.

Too straight, Leandro Love is improving but maybe he should run from deeper the way Carlos Hernandez was perhaps supposed to do.

But Coach Ernie Merrick is making the team hard to beat and sneaking wins. Not in the first ten but over the ninety.

Sydney fought hard, worked a few openings in the second half, but Adam Casey couldn't deliver a quality ball, nor could Ruben Zadkovich and when Juninho went off injured there was nothing, not really.

Patrick has still to show anything. Brosque is at best a second or even bench striker. Zdrillic's pay packet is wasted. The guy is not even on the bench these days.

So Sydney's forward line lacks goal and goal threat. Even with ten a team with Archie Thompson in it's ranks would expect to create a chance, just one chance. Not Sydney.

Sydney played well. Mark Rudan had Adrian Caceres in his pocket. It was laughable, but then the attack minded Caceres again coming on late, got some space and delivered the best cross of the game.

Danny Allsopp who had ghosted around unmarked. Yes unmarked by Iain Fyfe or Tony Popovic scored unchallenged.

Branko Culina paid the price for playing Tony Popovic. A bit harsh maybe, but the goal and his contributions to sloppy goals this season are speaking for themselves.

And Melbourne bought on Adrian Caceres, a goal threat, a man with pace. Despite having the candy taken off him by Rudan with ease, he eventually earned Melbourne the points.

And Sydney are left to whinge about the ref, and the poor forward line options available to Culina.

Melbourne are building nicely. It's not pretty, not yet. And there are few signs it ever will be this season.

Kevin Muscat played probably the best balls of the game. Certainly the most testing and creative. And he lead by example. It was his best game of the season.

Shields, well he booked Muscat early which all Refs should do to control the game, but he ruined the spectacle for the neutral.

A booking would have done for Corica, and we could all have enjoyed the test of the two mighty clubs.

The atmosphere was great, the Sydney fans have a core, and a great noise. Victory travelled in numbers. And celebrated as an away team should when they beat their arch-rivals.

It was tense, it was competitive, but Corica and Shields ruined it for me.