Don’t miss this stunning Saturday six-pointer. Get to AAMI Park and help Heart remain unbeaten against their ladder rivals.
Melbourne Heart v Sydney FC
Saturday 17th March, 7.45pm
Don’t miss this stunning Saturday six-pointer. Get to AAMI Park and help Heart remain unbeaten against Sydney.
This might be John van ‘t Schip’s final home league game in charge of Melbourne Heart, but it is no time for sentimentality; there are still crucial points to be won and finals places to be battled for.
So get along to AAMI Park and, as well as showing your appreciation for the man that has brought so much to your club over the past two seasons, help send your team into the finals with 90 minutes of non-stop noise in this massive match. With Sydney just a point behind Heart, this is the very definition of a six-pointer – be there.
Heart will be very confident of getting a result on Saturday, as they have taken four from a possible six points against Sydney FC this season. Indeed, with a bit more luck, they would have won two from two.
At AAMI Park, leading by a solitary late goal, Heart conceded a dubious corner deep into stoppage time from which Nicky Carle prodded home to deny the home side the win.
However, later in the season, the Red & White had no such problems in overcoming their opponents in New South Wales. A fantastic 4-0 triumph at Sydney Football Stadium demonstrated their silverware credentials.
In front of over 16,000 fans, first-half goals to Eli Babalj and Mate Dugandzic were supplemented by second-half strikes from super-subs Jason Hoffman and Alex Terra to give Heart their biggest ever win in their short history. Anything like that would do very nicely indeed for the men from Victoria this weekend.
Those two results give some kind of indication as to Sydney’s season so far. They have been disappointing at home and generally quite impressive away.
However, last week they belied their home struggles with a huge win over Melbourne Victory. Karol Kisel’s first-half penalty was the difference between the two bitter rivals at Allianz Stadium and the final whistle was greeted with delirium bytThe Cove.
While remaining on course for a finals spot, Melbourne Heart need the win after dropping two points at AAMI Park on Saturday.
Despite playing Wellington Phoenix off the park in the first-half, they only managed the one goal, through Eli Babalj, and were punished by Paul Ifill’s late strike.
But, despite the disappointment of not grabbing the win that they perhaps deserved, their attacking guile was impressive enough to suggest that, if they find their shooting boots on Saturday, they have more than enough about them to pick up three points.
While Melbourne Heart have never lost to Sydney FC, every run such as this has to come to an end at some point. Will this be that time?
There will be plenty of Sky Blue supporters in the crowd hoping for exactly that outcome, so, Heart fans, if you want to your side to continue their dominance over their ladder rivals, then you have to play your part. Get yourself along to AAMI Park and sing for the win.
