Missing eight first-choice players due to injury, City recorded their third-straight win to go, momentarily, top of the table on Saturday night.
Teenager Ben Mazzeo, who scored for a second-consecutive game, broke the deadlock after slotting a superb header from a Zane Schreiber corner in the 65th minute.
City, who could lose top spot back to Auckland who play Perth on Saturday night, are undefeated from their last seven matches in a big tick for the coaching of Aurelio Vidmar.
But the Roar's campaign has been nothing short of a disaster.
They are now the owners of the worst record from the first 12 games of a season in the 20-year history of the competition.
Stranded on the bottom of the table, Brisbane are winless with just two draws to go with their 10 defeats, even worse than the New Zealand Knights back in 2005 when they had three points from 12 games.
The club's last win was a 2-1 away victory over Western Sydney on April 5, 283 days ago. Their club record winless streak has streatched to 15.
🔥 Straining the neck muscles to put us in front!— Melbourne City FC (@MelbourneCity) Benny's brilliant header in all of its glory �� @10FootballAU | #MCYvBRI | 🩵 1-0 � pic.twitter.com/0FOp3Ni9CmJanuary 11, 2025
Thomas Waddingham sat out the match as speculation grows the teenage sensation has already played his final game for the Roar.
The 19-year-old striker is set to move to the UK when the transfer window opens, with English Championship clubs QPR, Portsmouth and Sheffield Wednesday interested in signing the Brisbane whiz kid.
Under-fire Roar coach Ruben Zadkovich was given a yellow card in the second half after exchanging words with officials.
City have had no choice but to use some of their young talent in the absence of Andreas Kuen, Yonatan Cohen, Mat Leckie, Marco Tilio, Andrew Nabbout, Max Caputo, Alessandro Lopane and Jimmy Jeggo.
But City have defied the lengthy injury list as they continue to choke teams, conceding just two goals from their last five games.
City head to New Zealand next Saturday for a blockbuster against Auckland, while Brisbane face Sydney FC.
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