For the first time since round 3, Melbourne Heart will not finish the weekend in last place. A comprehensive 4-0 rout against fatigued and 10-man city rivals Melbourne Victory lifts Heart to eighth place and leaves John van ‘t Schip’s side just four points from reaching the finals. Orlando Engelaar, Mate Dugandzic, David Williams and Harry Kewell each scored at AAMI Park in the most lopsided Melbourne Derby.
Heart rout Victory in Melbourne Derby
The 4-0 score line represents the largest winning margin in the derby’s history.
Scott Barbour
The game was the third in eight days for the Victory and followed a frustrating Champions League let down midweek in China. After giving up goals from Engelaar and Dugandzic in the game’s first quarter hour, the Victory were put in an even more difficult position when Nick Ansell was controversially sent off for a foul on Williams. Though the game was far from over, playing shorthanded for the final fifty minutes ultimately doomed the Victory. Williams and Kewell added the finishing touches in the last seven minutes and sent Heart to an historic and important win.
Three points take Heart to eighth place, though ninth place Newcastle Jets will get a chance to make up ground when they play at Western Sydney Wanderers on Sunday. The Victory remain even on points with both Adelaide United and Central Coast Mariners but the heavy defeat drops them to fifth place on goal difference.
Victory turn around and host the Mariners on Friday night March 7 in a game with massive finals positioning implications. Heart go to Newcastle on Saturday March 8 with an eye toward legitimately jumping into the finals discussion.
Scoring:
MHT Engelaar (Williams) 9’
MHT Dugandzic 15’
MHT Williams (Dugandzic) 83’
MHT Kewell (Kalmar) 86’
Line-ups:
Melbourne Heart: Redmayne; Kisnorbo (Archibald 87’), Wielaert, Hoffman; Garuccio, Engelaar (Kewell 81’), Germano (Kalmar 60’), Murdocca; Ramsay, Williams, Dugandzic
Unused substitutes: Velaphi, Mauk
Melbourne Victory: Thomas, Galloway, Traore, Ansell, Geria; Milligan, Broxham; Troisi (Pain 63’), Finkler, Thompson (Barbarouses 63’); Rogic (Makarounas 78’)
Unused substitutes: Coe, Mahazi
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