Marcondes and Mabil score as Melbourne City leave victorious against Sydney FC

Still searching for their first win of the season, Melbourne City returned to AAMI Park on Saturday in hopes that fate would finally be on their side against Sydney FC, who were off the back of a 2-1 win against Adelaide United.

It was certainly a start that Aurelio Vidmar will have enjoyed, with City beginning the match as the stronger of the two sides. Nevertheless, they failed to convert any of their first-half chances, and would be left to rue that at half-time.

Akol Akon and Oriola Sunday looked lively for Sydney FC at the other end, but it would be Al Hassan Toure who broke the deadlock in the 37th minute. James Nieuwenhuizen, featuring in the A-League for the first time this season due to a Macklin Freke groin injury, would dive but ultimately had no chance of keeping Toure's strike out.

Quinn MacNicol had City's best chance with the very last touch of the whistle before half-time, but scuffed his header wide, summing up what was a very frustrating half of football for the home side.

Needing a goal in the second half, Aurelio Vidmar attempted to repeat an old trick, subsituting on Emiliano Marcondes at half-time. The Danish international only needed seven minutes to involve himself in City's equaliser against Victory last week. Incredibly, he needed even less time today.

A long throw-in was headed on by Julio Cascante into the path of Marcondes, who struck at goal first-time. Harrison Devenish-Meares got a hand on the ball, but ultimately couldn't keep it out. Melbourne City found their equaliser, and the Marcondes impact sub had paid off again.

Now, both teams had the majority of the second half to find a winner. It looked like Sydney had done it, with Al Hassan Toure having thought he'd scored a brace, but it was ruled out for offside.

In the end, it would be Melbourne City who found the all-crucial third goal, with Emiliano Marcondes in the thick of the action once again, this time setting up Awer Mabil. It may have been Halloween, but Mabil showed no fear, beating his man and firing a strike into the top corner.

Mabil had capped his 50th A-League appearance off with a goal, and, for the first time all season, Melbourne City held the lead in an A-League match. Now, they had half an hour to see it out.

Sydney would continue to hunt for the equaliser, but the City defense held strong. Despite the visitors throwing bodies forward late on, Melbourne City prevailed, leaving victorious for the first time this season with a 2-1 win.

After the game, Patrick Kisnorbo was honest on what cost Sydney the game against his former side.

"We lost that for ourselves. I think it was maybe a minute or two minutes after half-time from a long throw, which is not good enough. We missed the second ball. Again, it's scrappy. It's a goal. It's not enough. We missed some great, great, great chances. Also, final passes. I think at the end of the day we lost (because of) that."

Meanwhile, Aurelio Vidmar couldn't be happier with his team after claiming their first win of the season, but is still keeping one eye on the future.

"It's good to get the first win out of the way and (it) gives a lot of confidence within the group. We're having a massive game again next week, where (Western) Sydney, as we know, they've started off the season really well. Very different team than they were last year, so we really need to prepare well and get ready for a big fight because it certainly will be one of those games."

As Vidmar said, Melbourne City return to AAMI Park in seven days to play the Western Sydney Wanderers, while Sydney make the trip back home in preparation for a Friday night clash against Central Coast.