Christian Montegan 
Melbourne Victory coach Patrick Kisnorbo shouting instructions on the touchline against Brisbane Roar. Photo: Marcus Robertson/Round Ball Australia
Melbourne Victory will head into the international break on top of the summit after claiming a positive 2-0 result against an underwhelming Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park.
The home side was missing the final polish in the attacking third until a brilliant run by in-form Reno Piscopo down the left-hand flank picked out Nishan Velupillay for a simple tap-in.
Full-back Jason Geria was left unmarked in the box to head home from a corner and add a second for the Victory in the 76th minute to run away with the match.
With only 37 per cent possession throughout the 90 minutes, it was a contrasting approach to the one Victory fans have been accustomed to viewing this season.
“I think it was a different type of game to be perfectly honest,” said Kisnorbo. “There were some areas of the pitch where we defended deep which were at times difficult.
“But our performances of late have been good. I was very pleased with the discipline we showed [by] not giving too much away.”
“It was great to see that the players dug in today in a different type of match that we’re probably not used to.”
Kisnorbo decided to stick with the same starting lineup that managed to claim a come-from-behind win against Macarthur, making the disparate tactical approach even more impressive.
In terms of squad depth and adaptability, it presents an encouraging sign for Victory that they can build on and grow moving forward.
“We worked really hard and focused on that a lot,” Kisnorbo said when asked about his team’s tactical versatility.
“We knew that last season that [this type of match] would have been a draw and we conceded a lot of late goals last season.”
“All those little things we’ve [worked on] during pre-season to improve and that’s what we did.”
Victory will next step out onto the pitch in two weeks when they travel to Sydney to face Giancarlo Italiano’s Wellington Phoenix during Unite Round.