Melbourne Heart 2 (Williams 52’, 60’)
Central Coast Mariners 2 (Flores (pen) 71’, (pen) 77’)
WELL...that was a fairly dodgy first half...Heart shoulda got a couple in the first 15 but our defenders dug in and stopped 'em.....
BUT...then, multiple mind snaps by the Heart that gave the Coasties stereo penalities 10 minutes apart... Marcos bashed 'em past Redders and thus ensured Central Coast Mariners a 2-2 draw with Melbourne Heart at AAMI Park on Saturday.
The first half was a largely scrappy affair with both sides struggling to get the team mindset sorted early in the new season. However, either side could well have gone to the break at least a goal to the good, with Iain Ramsay bounced it off the side netting... while Tesco hit the woodwork after having a shot using his noggin.
But it was in the 2nd half, that half a crowd (which included some VERY loud Yellow Army travellers, NICE ONE GANG), at Melbourne’s impressive AAMI Park got their ticket money justified....the game looked out of the boys reach after Heart attacker David Williams netting in the 52nd and 60th minutes to give Aloi$i’s side a handy lead...the Yarraside boys were singing their little hearts out..pardon the pun
HUTCHO - 7.9...I'm still not getting the love in with Hutcho this season. He is slow, ponderous, gives the ball away a lot and turns back rather than attacks. His only positive is he is protecting the nervous centre backs quite well.
PAZZ - 7.9...a great shot stopper, those two saves were brilliant but the howler was a worry (still maty used to do a couple each season).
ROSEY - 8.3...got some good balls down to the pointy end
STORMY - 9.0...kids a budding talent, amazing... a rough diamond.
SIEP - 8.0...Siep looked very decent until they nearly scored the third when he was a bit lost. The back 4 is massively missing the control and calm of Dutchy and to the one or two muppets that rated Ando above Dutchy last season.....be careful what u wish for in future!
MONTY - 8.5...Monty looks great going forward this year but like Hutcho he also needs to cherish the ball a bit more.
FITZY - 8.0...The miss was terrible and he need to lift a gear.
EL GIRAFFE - 9.0..Absolute quality and knows how to take a dot shot
DOOKS - 8.7...great game, needs to start scoring
TESCO - 8.8...brilliant, shoulda had at least one
STERJ - 8.1...go old man go.
Subs
MATTY -...the human windmill is back with a vengeance, a few think he should start in front of Sterj
WEE MAC - improved things dramatically... pretty good considering he just got in from Port of Spain
Just seven minutes into the second stanza, Davey Williams made the most of an opportunity from close range after Pazz totally botched a parry
Fitzy could have put the Mariners level in the 59th minute, however, he was looking up in the stands and his shot from Stormy's pass whizzed over Redmayne’s bar.
Fitzgerald’s miss was capitalised on by Heart less than 60 seconds later as Mebrahtu and Ramsay teamed up to Williams another shot...which he didnt waste and from close range, bashed his shot into the back of the net.
POINTLESS STAT TIME : Since the start of the Hyundai A-League 2012/13 season the Mariners have conceded the first goal in a match nine times, but only lost four of those fixtures.
With 20 minutes remaining referee Ben Williams spotted a Heart player practicing his UFC style headlock on Matty Simon during a Mariners corner, he thus awarded Arnie’s boyss a dot-shot. Keeping his strike low Flores slammed the ball beyond Redmayne to make the score 2-1.
And just five minutes later Flores would be given another chance to score from the spot. Dook’s cross struck the arm of Melbourne sub, Patrick Gerhardt, with referee Williams again awarding a penalty. Flores stayed composed to send the ball beyond Redmayne once again to give the Mariners hope of snatching what just minutes earlier seemed like an extremely unlikely victory.
SO..two penaltys in 10 minutes, if this is a look at how the refs are gonna work this year, then so be it...although I'm betting its a one off
The final ten minutes of the encounter were a bit hectic, with both squads keen on securing a late winner. Mariners left back Joshua Rose struck a shot from another Roux cross over the bar, while Pasfield pulled off a wonder save from point-blank range to deny Williams his hat-trick and Heart the win.
After three minutes of additional time, Ben Williams called time on a contest which after a relatively bland opening transformed into a tense four-goal thriller.
Post match, Arnie praised the boys determination to gain a point from the clash.
“It was a very disappointing first half of football, But obviously the second half was more lively with four goals scored and a host of opportunities created.
The main thing we take from the game is that we showed some great fighting spirit to come back to two-all. After that, we had half chances to win the game, as did Heart.”
We have to go home happy with a point, but we’ll need to keep working hard to ensure we find our rhythm over the coming rounds.”
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