Third meets fifth this afternoon in a match that will go a long way towards deciding the order of the top six as Melbourne Heart seek to close the gap on Wellington Phoenix. Join us at 5.30pm for live scores and commentary of all the action from AAMI Park.
In welcoming back their hard working and inspirational skipper Fred, the Heart have managed two wins and draw in their last three games to fend off various challenges to their top six position.
The Heart have a three-point gap on Sydney who sit in seventh place, but most importantly the team they are hosting, the Phoenix, are in third position with a five point gap.
This is a real opportunity for the Heart to catch up to the third and fourth placed teams and give themselves a shot at hosting a home final, while getting themselves firmly ensconced in the top six.
The Phoenix still have a faint hope of landing a top two spot, but they would happily settle for a draw away from home to keep the Heart at bay.
The Heart keeper, Clint Bolton, had to pull yet another rabbit out of the hat last round to give the Heart a draw against the Roar, saving a spot kick. Even at the age of 37, he is celebrating some decent form.
Last week the Phoenix managed to do what a few clubs have struggled to do of late, and that’s get a two goal advantage on the struggling Gold Coast side.
Nick Ward scored the sealer late in the game to add to what has been a good season for him to date.
The Heart have found a new lease of life with the return of Fred and Olyroo Mate Dugandzic, but they’ll find a Wellington team more than prepared for them, boasting a strong defensive unit that features Andrew Durante, Ben Sigmund and Maddy Muscat.
Home ground and the incentive to cement a finals berth should be enough to encourage the Heart to a 2-1 win.
Can the Heart make a last-ditch attempt at snatching a home final, or will the Phoenix continue their solid away form? It’s an interesting A-League double-header tonight and this one shapes as a beauty. We’ll have minute-by-minute commentary from the kick-off at 5.30pm AEDT so if you’re watching, give us your thoughts in the space below.
PeterK
Guest
Looks like Wellington "won" both the fouls count and the cautions count, hands down!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
I sure that's an unbiased assessment!
Stevo
Guest
From behind the goals It looked pretty clearly that Ifill was looking for a penalty and went down easily - no penalty, ref got it right.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
That's it for me, I hope you enjoyed it, it was a pleasure bringing you the game this evening. Plenty more sport on tonight, hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
FT Heart 1 Phoenix 1 Final corner right on the 93 min, but cleared and it's a draw. With the first half goal on the board, it seemed that the Heart looked to absorb the pressure at the start of the 2nd half for the first 20 min, and thereafter, both teams shared in having periods of possession and attacking deep into the opposition's half, it was during a period when Nix kept the ball on the left, it finally left to Ifill just outside the box and he hit it sweet as to level the scores. From there either side could have pinched the 3 points but they shared the points. For the Heart, Fred and Dugandzic were especially dangerous in the first half, but the Nix kept them a bit under control in the 2nd half, for the Nix, Sigmund and Durante had excellent defensive games and kept the Nix in it till the end.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
92 min Heart 1 Phoenix 1 Smith puts in free to back post, half-cleared, Nix keep the ball in, Heart forced to take throw in deep in own half, Ifill wins it, but intercepted in turn, Hamill to Dugandzic, but long ball swallowed up by Paston easily
The Cattery
Roar Guru
90 min Heart 1 Phoenix 1 counting down the minutes now, 3 min of stoppage time Nix with the corner, either team can win it at this point, not a good corner, stayed too low, but Colosimo forced to put it over for another corner, cleared,
The Cattery
Roar Guru
89 min Heart 1 Phoenix 1 After the press from last week with Kemp snubbing the bench when he came off, surprising act by Fred to do the same to his coach, being the captain and all now it's Nix into attack, Greenacre, Lia, wins the throw in,
The Cattery
Roar Guru
88 min Heart 1 Phoenix 1 The ever dangerous Fred, pressing high, wins the ball back, puts it straight into the box, Babalj can't get there first, good defensive work from the nix again Sub - Fred off, Hamill on, not sure what that move is about, perhaps Fred still with hammy problems? Fred not happy, refused to shake his coach'es hand! in meantime, Goodwin with good cross, bit too far, across face of goal
The Cattery
Roar Guru
86 min Heart 1 Phoenix 1 both teams running into each other at the moment 15 m either side of the half way line - no one making any progress! but both teams trying everything to break the lines, this time its Ifill tracking back and blocking the cross - both teams giving it their all!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
85 min Heart 1 Phoenix 1 Heart hand possession back to Nix, they are the ones keeping it in the opposition half, but this time a strong challenge gives Heart the free, Muscat stops Behich in his tracks
The Cattery
Roar Guru
84 min Heart 1 Phoenix 1 Brown, Lia on left, back to Durante, Nix keeping the ball, they think they can win this one, switched to Muscat on the right, Smith puts it in, no one there, it was a good ball
The Cattery
Roar Guru
83 min Heart 1 Phoenix 1 Dugandzic through the middle, finds Terra, just on, tries the shot from a bit of an angle, hits the side netting, but crowd and Heart players thought it was in!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
81 min Heart 1 Phoenix 1 Ifill has hardly done anything this game, but Nix kept it on the left, finally the small hit back for Ifill, from around 25 m, Ifill has hit it with the ball sitting up for him a few inches off the grass, incredibly he has got it to go underneath the defender coming in at him, and then kept the ball rising to the top corner, and it went like a bullet, Bolton would hardly have seen it
The Cattery
Roar Guru
79 min Heart 1 Phoenix 1 Heart supporters making a lot of noise, Nix with the switch, Lia, Tsattalios, Lia, forced back to Durante, Tsattalios, always on the left, set up for Ifill, hits it first time - GOAL!!!!!!!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
78 min Heart 1 Phoenix 0 Pavlovic offside, but now it's the nix's turn to keep the ball and penetrate, Fred pinches it this time, Babalj goes for a run, but runs straight into Sigmund who has had a very good defensive game, Durante as well
The Cattery
Roar Guru
77 min Heart 1 Phoenix 0 switch to Ifill, on left, good ball in, Pavlovic up but can't get the right angle on the header, out for a goal kick
The Cattery
Roar Guru
76 min Heart 1 Phoenix 0 Germano fouled by Lia, on right side, to be honest, looked like an ok tackle, Heart with free, long ball into box, Sigmund beats Babalj to ball
The Cattery
Roar Guru
74 min Heart 1 Phoenix 0 Goodwin tries to run at the man, but on this occasion Sigmund tackles him strongly but fairly
The Cattery
Roar Guru
73 min Heart 1 Phoenix 0 Sub - Ward off for Tsattalios, I didn't know he was still playing it's Heart into attack - they have lifted the tempo last few minutes, in direct contrast to start of 2nd half