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Unstoppable Fornaroli takes down the Jets

Bruno Fornaroli has become the fastest man to score 30 A-League goals, beating Shane Smeltz's record.

Bruno Fornaroli has become the fastest man to score 30 A-League goals, beating Shane Smeltz's record. Photo: AAP

Melbourne City’s Bruno Fornaroli has again shown his attacking mastery, scoring twice in a 2-1 A-League win over Newcastle Jets.

The Uruguayan ace netted a first-half brace to keep Thursday night’s encounter at arm’s length from the Jets, which replied through Andrew Nabbout but couldn’t find a late equaliser.

John van ‘t Schip’s side jumped to second in the table off the back of the 29-year-old’s double, which lifts his tally to six goals in six games this season.

He also became the fastest man to clock up 30 A-League goals, surpassing the record held by Kiwi journeyman Shane Smeltz.

Fornaroli’s goals were fashioned on the left and the right flanks, and finished by head and foot.

Tricky winger Fernando Brandan charged inside with pace but slowed the speed of the ball, deftly chipping into Fornaroli’s path.

The Uruguayan headed to the near post, where Jets goalkeeper Jack Duncan could only palm the ball into the net.

Shortly after, he unleashed a textbook right-foot volley from Bruce Kamau’s cross, and it looked a matter of how many both for player and club.

But Newcastle began to create chances of its own and soon converted one, when ex-Victory winger Nabbout skipped past Osama Malik and unleashed a strike that flew in with a healthy deflection from Michael Jakobsen.

The stage was set for a show-stopping second half, but instead the action dried up.

Fornaroli scores

Melbourne City’s Bruno Fornaroli celebrates his second goal against Newcastle.

Audacious overkick efforts from the otherwise quiet Tim Cahill and Morten Nordstrand – who had missed a sitter from two metres out after just four minutes – were the brightest moments of the second half.

Newcastle made all three substitutes in an effort to unlock City’s defence, but it served only to send them a player down when captain Nigel Boogaard went down with a nasty leg injury.

Van’t Schip said his side maintained a hand on the wheel.

“Overall we controlled the game,” he said. “We could have scored more if we were a bit more precise and a bit more eager in the first third … overall I think again a step in the right direction.”

Beaten coach Mark Jones said his side “should have got a result”, lamenting two moments of defensive failure.

“We didn’t take our opportunities and I thought we were very naive again,” he said.

“We got beaten one-on-one, both our full-backs, gave them too much time to select their pass and gave them two goals.”

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