The win takes City to the top of the embryonic table and condemned Kevin Muscat's Victory side to a second defeat in succession after it lost its opening match, also at home, to champions Sydney FC last week.

Both sides were fired up and ready to make their presence felt.

Victory skipper Carl Valeri is never a man to shirk a challenge, and he ended up incurring the wrath of referee Peter Green after barely 60 seconds when his heavy challenge on his opposite number, City captain Michael Jakobsen, was penalised with a yellow card.

That set the tone for a lively and pugnacious opening 10 minutes where City looked the more threatening.

Eugene Galekovic has long been regarded as the best "sweeper-keeper" in the A-League, and it was his long ball to City winger Bruce Kamau in the third minute that set up his team's first chance, the wide man finding Scots striker Ross McCormack.

His shot was blocked by Victory keeper Lawrence Thomas and Stefan Mauk could only spoon his effort over the bar.

McCormack then tested Lawrence with a drive from distance which the Victory keeper parried into the path of Jakobsen, who fluffed his shot from close range.

It took the hosts until the 10th minute to start to look threatening, when James Troisi broke forward and slid a cross for Besart Berisha which the forward just could not reach.

Mark Milligan, back from a fortnight of arduous Socceroo duties, then got his team going with a lovely through ball to full back Jason Geria which led to a corner.

Tackles were still flying in and Victory defender Leigh Broxham was booked in the 11th minute after a fierce challenge on Nick Fitzgerald. Berisha then set up Troisi with a deft touch, but the Socceroo forward's lobbed shot went over the bar before Berisha failed to connect with a Leroy George cross as Victory began to impose themselves on this game.

City midfielder Osama Malik was scythed down by Victory defender Rhys Williams, the latter getting a third yellow for the home team, as the competitive nature of the match showed little sign of abating.

Referee Green made his decision to book Williams - rather than issue a red card - after consulting the Video Assistant Referee, although Malik sustained an injury which was to eventually force him to leave the field five minutes before the interval.

City then threatened after McCormack's run set up an opportunity for Stefan Mauk, but he again fired too high while at the other end Milligan's long range drive forced Galekovic to spoon the ball out for a corner.

City's marquee Polish signing Marcin Budzinski replaced Malik just before the interval, forcing Joyce into a reshuffle, but he quickly made his presence felt when he gave his side the lead in first half stoppage time. Fitzgerald did well on the right to draw the defenders before sliding the ball into space for Budzinski, who unleashed a fierce shot from close range which beat Thomas at his near post.

Victory took 10 minutes to get themselves back on level terms and when they did it was their new Dutch winger, Leroy George, who was on target.

The hosts were able to quickly break from defence when the ball was fed out wide on the right to the New Zealand winger Kosta Barbarouses.

His cross to the far post picked out George, and although his first touch looked heavy he was still able to fire in from an acute angle to beat Galekovic to tie things up in the 55th minute.

Troisi almost made it two shortly after when he played a delightful one two with Berisha, his shot flying just wide.

McCormack then went close to restoring City's advantage when his floating long range free kick forced Thomas into a diving save, tipping the ball over the bar, while George tried his luck from distance at the other end.

Bruce Kamau was City's two goal hero in their opening week win over Brisbane, and it was the young forward who put his team back in front in the 64th minute.

He picked up the ball inside his own half and drove towards the Victory penalty area, Valeri in pursuit.

The veteran midfielder could not match the youngster's pace, but Kamau could count himself lucky that his shot took a deflection off Valeri and looped up and past Thomas.

City scrambled Troisi's header from a Barbarouses cross to safety as Victory pressed forward in pursuit of a second leveller, Williams headed over in stoppage time, Budzinski missed a golden chance to put the game beyond doubt, but in the end City had enough to maintain their advantage.