A spirited second-half display from Melbourne Heart FC has seen the Red and White overcome a 0-2 deficit to draw 3-3 with Adelaide United in a dramatic match at AAMI Park this evening.
A spirited second-half display from Melbourne Heart FC has seen the Red and White overcome a 0-2 deficit to draw 3-3 with Adelaide United in a dramatic match at AAMI Park this evening.
After trailing 2-0 early in the first half to goals from Adelaide-s Steven Lustica and Sergio Cirio, Melbourne Heart displayed passion and determination to score three goals in 17 second-half minutes to almost seal a famous win.
Andrea Migliorini triggered the comeback with two superb strikes, before a David Williams penalty gave the home side a 3-2 lead with 20 minutes to play.
However, Marcelo Carrusca earned a point for the visitors with 14 minutes remaining following a deflected free kick.
In the most entertaining match of Round 8, Melbourne Heart created a number of chances in the first half but it was Josep Gombau-s side which was the more clinical in the first stanza.
Adelaide opened the scoring early in the third minute with a goal to Lustica, who pounced on a loose ball in the box and drilled home the opener.
Melbourne pressed immediately for an equaliser after suffering Lustica-s early blow, and Michael Mifsud found himself through on goal in the seventh minute only to skew his shot wide after losing balance at the crucial moment.
David Williams then had a goal disallowed for offside in the 12th minute. Mifsud found himself one-on-one with Adelaide-s stopper Eugene Galekovic, but the custodian was able to smother the ball off Mifsud-s boot – saving a certain Heart goal.
Heart paid the ultimate price as Sergio Cirio converted Adelaide-s second in the 15th minute to put his team 2-0 ahead, giving the Red and White a mountain to climb.
However the home side continued to press with Iain Ramsay firing over the bar and Misfud spraying wide after rounding Galekovic.
Adelaide went into half time with a seemingly unassailable two-goal lead, while the Red and White rued missed opportunities.
However, an effective half-time team-talk from Head Coach John Aloisi had his side fired up for the second period – and the team hit back within 10 minutes of the restart.
In the 54th minute, the ball fell to Migliorini and the Italian fired a spectacular long-range shot from 30 metres which swerved past Galekovic and rippled the back of the net in front of a jubilant Yarraside.
Migliorini raced to celebrate with Aloisi as the momentum swung heavily in the Heart-s favour.
A trademark Aziz Behich run from the left wing set up Migliorini for the equaliser – a powerful finish that left Galekovic flat-footed in the 65th minute.
Melbourne then earned a penalty five minutes later, allowing Williams to convert from the spot and hand Heart a 3-2 lead as wild scenes erupted inside AAMI Park.
But six minutes later Adelaide equalised, with Marcelo Carrusca-s deflected free-kick finding the back of the net, leaving both sides with a share of the spoils after a dramatic 90 minutes.
Match Details
Sunday, 1 December 2013
Hyundai A-League Round 8
Melbourne Heart FC 3 (Andrea Migliorini 54-, 65- David Williams 70- [PEN])
Adelaide United FC 3 (Steven Lustica 2-, Sergio Cirio 15-, Marcelo Carrusca 76-)
AAMI Park, Melbourne
HT: 0-2
Referee: Strebre Delovski
Attendance: 6,002
Melbourne Heart FC Starting XI: 1. Andrew REDMAYNE (GK), 3. Robbie WIELAERT, 6. Patrick GERHARDT, 7. Iain RAMSAY, 8. Massimo MURDOCCA, 11.Michael MIFSUD 15. David WILLIAMS (22. Stefan MAUK 88-), 16. Aziz BEHICH, 23. Mate DUGANDZIC (14. Golgol MEBRAHTU 46-),24. Patrick KISNORBO, 25. Andrea MIGLIORINI (22. Nick KALMAR 88-)
Substitutes not used: 17. Jason HOFFMAN, 20. Tando VELAPHI (GK)
Yellow cards: Patrick KISNORBO 73-, Aziz BEHICH 81-
Red cards: Nil
Adelaide United FC Starting XI: 1. Eugene GALEKOVIC (GK), 3. Nigel BOOGAARD, 5. Osama MALIK, 7. Jeronimo NEUMANN (11. Bruce DJITE 61-), 8. ISAIAS, 9. Sergio CIRIO, 10. Marcelo CARRUSCA, 13. Steven LUSTICA (19. Jake BARKER-DAISH 75-), 18. Michael ZULLO, 21. Tarek ELRICH, 22. Fabio FERREIRA (17. Awer MABIL 60-)
Substitutes not used: 19. Jake BARKER-DAISH, 23. Jordan ELSEY, 30. John Hall (GK)
Yellow cards: Osama MALIK 51-, Jeronimo NEUMANN 57-
Red cards: Nil
