Weekly warm up: Melbourne Heart FC v Perth Glory FC

Sing your Heart out as your side goes all out for Glory in this scintillating Sunday showdown at AAMI Park!

Sing your Heart out as your side goes all out for Glory in this scintillating Sunday showdown at AAMI Park!

It’s time to get back to winning ways! Melbourne Heart have laid the foundations for an honest push for silverware in the Hyundai A-League 2011/12 season, but, after two winless outings, they really need a confidence-boosting win. So get a ticket today and show your side that you are fully behind them.

While they have gone two games without a win, Heart put in a good display against an ever-improving Gold Coast United at Skilled Park last week. Indeed, they were in front for the majority of the match thanks to Kristian Sarkies’ early deflected free kick, but were denied all three points by a moment of magic from ex-Blackburn Rovers striker Maceo Rigters.

However, while their performance was perhaps worthy of a win, they will certainly need to do better than the last time they turned out a AAMI Park. Fresh from a 4-0 thumping of Sydney, they were expected to brush aside an Adelaide United eleven that has spent the Hyundai A-League season at the wrong end of the ladder, but things didn’t go according to plan and Heart were broken by a fine away performance from The Reds.

By the time Eli Babalj showed wonderful close control to score late on, John van ‘t Schip’s men had already conceded three, and the game was up.

They’ll need to show greater mental strength, more concentration and cooler heads if they are to right those wrongs this weekend. To make matters worse, they’ll be without captain and midfield marvel, Fred, who faces several weeks on the sidelines after aggravating his ever-troublesome groin.

Glory, meanwhile, go into the second of three away games in fine spirits, after their exceptional win against Wellington Phoenix at Westpac Stadium on Sunday.

In awful weather, the match seemed to be heading for a goalless draw until defender Josh Mitchell headed home deep into stoppage time to stun the home fans. It was Perth’s first win in Wellington and was greeted with utter jubilation by the visitors.

The head-to-head between these sides in the Hyundai A-League 2011/12 season is an intriguing one. Both previous meetings have seen the away side emerge victorious by a 2-1 scoreline. In December at nib Stadium, the clash between these two competitors seemed to be heading for a 1-1 draw after Matt Thompson’s 33rd-minute strike for Heart was cancelled out by Billy Mehmet’s goal two minutes later.

However, an 87th-minute finish from Mate Dugandzic saw the away team produce a dramatic 2-1 victory. Perth Glory, meanwhile, will take huge spirit from the fact that, the last time they took on Heart at AAMI Park, goals from Shane Smeltz either side of David Williams’ penalty were enough to secure three points.

With Glory having already proved they’ve got what it takes to win on Heart’s patch in the Hyundai A-League 2011/12 season, and with John van ‘t Schip’s side still recovering from that home humiliation against Adelaide, it is vital that you get yourself along to this clash and help turn AAMI Park into a fortress.

Create a cacophony of noise and help your club keep the pressure on Central Coast Mariners at the top. Melbourne Heart have shown they have the ability, so with your unbridled support, this season could end in glory!