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Colourful Gold Coast owner Clive Palmer collapsed and was hospitalised in a dramatic postscript to United’s 1-0 south-east Queensland derby triumph at Suncorp Stadium.
A bizarre day which started with Roar coach Frank Farina’s indefinite supension and finished with Palmer, Queensland’s richest man, being treated by paramedics for heart problems.
It’s understood the ironore baron, who is worth $5.5 billion, collapsed close to fulltime after feeling faint while watching the match in a corporate box.
He was rushed to nearby Wesley Hospital shortly after his team clinched the three points by seeing off a gallant Roar outfit who were without Farina and seven of their regular starting line-up.
United coach Miron Bleiberg refused to coment about the dramas after the match but praised Brisbane’s efforts under the reins of assistant coach Rado Vidosic.
“It was a very brave performance by the Roar,” Bleiberg said. “It wasn’t easy, and the result showed that.
“They performed so well and I think they will be there at the end (of the season).”
While the Roar sit sixth on the ladder, seven points off the lead, United’s victory snapped a four-game drought to surge back to second spot on 17, two points behind Sydney FC.
The Coast maintained bragging rights over their arch-rivals with a second M1 derby win this season thanks to a 31st-minute Joel Porter goal and some determined defending.
Porter stepped up for the Coast in the absence of skipper Jason Culina and star striker Shane Smeltz, both on international dury, to clinch the victory after pouncing on a Brisbane defensive error.
Former Glasgow Rangers and Derby defender Bob Malcolm inadvertently headed a Tahj Minniecon free-kick into the path of Porter who blasted home his second goal of the season.
A feature of Gold Coast’s defensive work was the performance of ex-Juventus goalkeeper Jess Vanstrattan who he pulled off a fine diving save to keep out a Tommy Oar strike that looked destined for the top corner of the net.
“Without taking anything away from any other keeper in the A-League, more of them wouldn’t have saved that shot than would have,” said Bleiberg.
“I’ve said he’ll be worth 10 points during the season. Today he earned two points.”
It was always going to be a tough day at the office for Brisbane without skipper Craig Moore and several other senior players, even before the club’s 11th-hour decision to indefinitely suspend Farina due to a drink driving charge.
But the home side started promisingly and had three near-misses in a hectic two minutes where Malcolm, Oar and Reinaldo all had the meagre 8,882-strong crowd on their feet.
Nippy youngster Oar, in his first game back from the Young Socceroos’ poor U20 World Cup campaign, was a constant thorn in the Coast’s side.
Sergio van Dijk was also denied a goal just before halftime when referee Ben Williams penalised Mitch Nicholls for a foul on Vanstrattan.
Stand-out fullback Adama Traore finished with a worrying knee injury after coming off second best from another rough challenge by Nicholls, one of four Roar bookings.
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