South Melbourne took a step towards confirming a place in the Finals with a nail-biting one-nil victory over Brisbane Strikers at Bob Jane Stadium on Wednesday evening in a Round 25 game brought forward. Vaughan Coveny scored the only goal of the game just after the half-hour.
The second goal - often threatened - never eventuated despite the many chances created by South. Strikers' goalkeeper Jason Kearton was the major factor in Brisbane staying in touch, several times pulling out saves that denied South a breather.
And from mid-way through the second half, Brisbane decided that the game was still in reach, mounting some deadly raids of its own that almost brought off a famous victory.
But for a last-ditch point-blank save by South goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic from Anthony Roche, a scrambled clearance off the line by Mehmet Durakovic, and then a shot from Peter Grierson which hit the underside of the bar in added time, Strikers has reasonable cause to think itself desperately unlucky in defeat.
"We should have put them away," said South coach Danny Wright in the after-match media conference. "We had more than enough chances to be so far in front that we didn't need to panic (towards the end)."
"Brisbane put the blow-torch on us. It didn't look pretty out there. I can't believe that we were playing against ten men, looking at the clock," said Wright.
"That's the story of our season," said Strikers' coach John Kosmina after the game. "We've been up and down all over the shop. We could have beaten South Melbourne tonight - easily."
Brisbane's Felix Tagawa was dismissed for a crude tackle on Nick Tolios just moments after Coveny's goal, leaving the Strikers a player short for the last hour of the contest.
"It was a stupid send-off. He didn't have to (react) like that," said Kosmina.
The Strikers had spotted Tagawa playing for Tahiti in the Confederations Cup and signed him for the remainder of this season. "It was his second game, and probably his last as well," said Kosmina. "We've only got three left - he's suspended next week. We may as well give somebody else a go - we'll wait and see."
The game was brought forward four weeks because South Melbourne's Bob Jane Stadium becomes inaccessible as a result of the Formula One Grand Prix held in Albert Park.
Although South had the better of the early moments, it was Brisbane which had the first serious chance of the match with just four minutes gone.
Galekovic had been compelled to gather a back-pass from Durakovic as South's defence was unable to clear the ball as Brisbane pressed, rather than fell back when the South defence had possession. Durakovic himself took responsibility to block Roche's shot after the touch from the indirect free-kick taken from just 11 metres.
South's breakthough came just after the half-hour. Peter Buljan had received a ball played forward and laid it off square to Coveny. The lanky Kiwi had Webber to beat and did so with a quick turn, shooting home low to Kearton's right.
What had been a reverse turned more serious just seconds later as Strikers' front-man Tagawa was dismissed for a dangerous tackle on Tolios. Referee Perry Mur - who had good control over what was at times a fierce match - instantly produced the red card to little objection.
The dismissal unsettled Brisbane, and for the rest of the half, South held the upper hand.
Debutant Sam Poutakidis had a bending shot from 25 metres flash by Kearton's left side post just before the half ended. Seconds later, Kearton made a sharp save at the feet of Coveny, which lead to some angry words being exchanged between the pair.
The first period of the second half was a reprise of the first - South pressed, Brisbane grimly held on.
Zeljko Susa played a ball forward to Stephen Pace, and the youngster stepped inside Shane Steffanuto before sending in a shot well saved by Kearton.
Fernando Rech had a disappointing game by his standards. Just after the hour he was given a caution by Mur which was fortunate not to turn into a red because of Rech's petulant response. Perhaps realising Rech's frame of mind, Kosmina withdrew him for Joshua Rose. Rech left the field directly for the rooms without delay nor the merest glance at the bench.
The change seemed to galvanise the Strikers.
Jonathan McKain had moved into the forward line unnoticed from the back. His shot from 12 metres was blocked by Galekovic, then scrambled off the line by Durakovic.
The Strikers would have another cleared off the line in the last minutes when Roche's shot was saved at close-range by Galekovic, but the ball had sufficient pace to roll towards the line. Steve Iosifidis reached it at the last.
And then in the last minute, Grierson's powerful drive from the edge of the penalty-area flew past Galekovic only to hit the underside of the cross-bar and away to South's palpable relief.
"We hadn't had a win for a few weeks," said Wright. "I'll take the three points."
"We did that with ten men," said Kosmina. "I don't know why we can't do it with eleven."