Head to Hindmarsh on Friday night to help The Reds end their campaign on a high and avoid the wooden spoon.
Adelaide United v Melbourne Heart
Friday 23rd March, 7.30pm
Head to Hindmarsh on Friday night to help The Reds end their campaign on a high and avoid the wooden spoon.
It’s the final game of a tough Hyundai A-League 2011/12 season for Adelaide United and they will be looking to end it on a positive note as they take on Melbourne Heart under the lights on Friday night. With Gold Coast United winning last weekend, there is still a bit of work to do in order to avoid the wooden spoon, so get along to Hindmarsh Stadium and help the Reds to victory.
Last week’s performance against Central Coast Mariners was good enough to suggest that United can cause Melbourne Heart plenty of problems this Friday.
A headed goal from striker Bernie Ibini just after the interval was all that separated the Reds from the ladder leaders as the side from South Australia put in a committed display that belied their position in the league. If they make a similar effort this week, they’ll certainly give their opponents plenty to think about.
Further reason to be hopeful of a closing win comes from the fact that United have performed impressively against this weekend’s opponents this season.
Last time the two sides came together at Hindmarsh, they played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in front of a typically noisy Red Army. Heart drew first blood through defender Brendan Hamill in the 49th minute before substitute Spase Dilevski equalised in the closing stages.
The home side fought desperately for the win, but Heart held on well, especially considering Simon Colosimo was sent off for a second bookable offence with 13 minutes to play.
While that was a decent draw, United did even better in the battle at AAMI Park. A brace from star striker Sergio van Dijk and another goal from Dario Vidosic secured the win. It was another miserable night for Colosimo, who gave away a spot-kick and injured himself in the process. Eli Babalj’s late goal was barely a consolation for Heart.
The Melbourne side go into this game in the knowledge that they will be taking part in the finals series for the first time, after last week picking up the draw that secured their participation.
However, they will be disappointed that they didn’t manage to secure all three points that would have given them a shot at sneaking a home tie. Leading Sydney 2-0 at the break thanks to goals from Dugandzic and the prolific Babalj, they conceded twice in the second-half and the spoils were shared. They’ll need to learn to put such games to bed if they are to progress far in the finals.
Friday nights are always special occasions at Hindmarsh Stadium, so join the the Red Army in creating the kind of atmosphere that only live football can offer.
As the Hyundai A-League wraps up for another season, be sure to give the rest of the country a reminder of just how noisy and passionate United fans are. Let’s turn Hindmarsh into a sea of red and pump up the volume.
