Adelaide United recorded their first win of the season by defeating Melbourne Heart 3-2 after a late winner from young gun Iain Ramsay, who claimed his second goal in the 82nd minute.
Both sides had only managed a goal each in their opening two games, but their historical first-time encounter turned into a thrilling goal fest.
Sergio van Dijk was a late withdrawal for the Reds, failing to get past the pre-match warm-up, succumbing to a calf injury.
United boss Rini Coolen admitted he was happy with the three points, but said there is still some room for improvement.
The Dutchman acknowledged the win was much needed and even more significant with the Reds’ depleted squad.
“We needed the result, and we have the result now,” he said.
“We football ok in this moment but still, we need to be better for the future. I’m happy with the win, especially for the boys. We were really looking forward to this, it’s what we need. We have (injury) problems but we can handle it.”
Heart coach John van ‘t Schip admitted it was a much improved performance from his side, but said conceding silly goals cost the visitors the result.
“I think they were big parts of the game where we were playing quite well,” he said.
“But, the story is we get (concede) two early goals again. We conceded the first one after two minutes, maybe even earlier. It’s really giving goals away and it’s difficult to recuperate every time.”
“We came out of the dressing room at half time, we dictated play… then out of nothing we get a second goal against us.”
Speedster Matthew Leckie gave United the perfect start when he intercepted a poor backpass from former team-mate Michael Marrone.
Leckie skipped in ahead of Michael Beauchamp who had slipped and went to ground, and the Young Socceroo coolly slotted through the legs of Clint Bolton in Melbourne Heart’s goal from 10 metres.
The 19 year-old continued to torment the Heart defence and could have made it 2-0 after 20 minutes.
He raced onto a through ball and raced towards goal before dancing past two defenders, only to fire straight at Bolton from on the edge of the area.
Dean Heffernan was lively for the visitors down the left and gave plenty of grief to Cameron Watson who was playing at right back in the Reds’ reshuffled defence.
The Heart looked dangerous going forward but lack cohesion in the front third and failed to deliver a telling, final pass.
Cassio had a chance cleared off the line by Heffernan on 40 minutes when he burst through the box and poked it past Bolton, before the Heart full back knocked the ball out to safety.
A minute later, the visitors grabbed a deserved equaliser when Heffernan delivered a pin point cross from the left and found Rutger Worm 10 metres from goal.
The Dutchman got in front of his marker and was perfectly positioned to power his header past Eugene Galekovic in the Reds’ goal.
In the 52nd minute Ramsay scored his first A-League goal in fortuitous circumstances knocking the ball home from close range.
Lucas Pantelis had chased down a through ball and had his shot from just inside the area saved by Bolton, but the Heart keeper could only parry the ball into the path of Ramsay who buried it from 6 metres.
After pressing for an equaliser, the Heart hit back through substitute Eli Babalj, who finished off some brilliant work from Worm with his first touch after coming off the bench.
Worm beat Reds’ defender Daniel Mullen on the by-line out on the left, putting the ball through his legs, before squaring the ball to the unmarked Babalj, firing past Galekovic to draw the sides level at 2-2.
Marcos Flores thought he’d won the game for United ten minutes from time but his goal was ruled out for offside.
The Argentine did have a hand in the winner, though, the playmaker thread the ball through for Ramsay with the deftest of touches with the outside of his right boot.
The Sydney FC recruit drilled his shot from a tight angle, through the legs of Bolton, for the second time in the match, gifting United victory with a dramatic winner in the 87th minute.
Adelaide United 3
Melbourne Heart 2
7370, at Hindmarsh Stadium
