Melbourne Victory returned to the top of the league, even if temporarily so, after its two-one home win against championship rivals Queensland Roar on a Docklands pitch described by Melbourne coach Ernie Merrick as "totally unacceptable".
After a stalemate first half, the game burst into life in the second. Danny Allsopp scored from close-range ten minutes after the break following the elusive Archie Thompson's run up the right on a pass from playmaker and man-of-the-match Carlos Hernandez.
Central defender Rody Vargas got Victory's second midway through the half, heading home unattended from point-blank after escaping his marker on a free-kick from Billy Celeski.
Roar captain Craig Moore converted Massimo Murdocca's corner to get Queensland back into the game with fifteen minutes to play, but despite a hatful of chances falling late to Thompson, and then to Roar striker Mitchell Nichols, no further goals embroidered the encounter.
But it was clear the talking point of the game would revolve around the state of the pitch, and its suitability for play. Stadium management, in damage control, issued a media release immediately the game ended saying "Despite the pre-match conjecture about the state of the turf, Telstra Dome management maintains it provided a pitch that was fit and suitable for play."
It went on to say "We are grateful that both coaches . . . were comfortable to proceed with the match."
A New Years Eve dance party had been held at the venue ending less than a day before the game. The stadium was fitted with infrastructure on its surface which left the pitch "totally unacceptable" according to Merrick and "not ideal" according to his Roar counterpart Frank Farina.
According to Farina, match referee Peter O'Leary was about to call the game off until Merrick and he both agreed that it was better to play the game than not, given the fixture pile-up both teams were suffering as a consequence of Adelaide United's World Club Championship adventure last month, and the nearness of the end of the home-and-away season.
Back of the Net understands this was not quite the case, O'Leary having not made a decision about the game, but rather sought the input of both coaches before ruling on the matter. As both coaches preferred to play the game rather than delay it, O'Leary's decision was easier, but still made by him alone. A senior league official was also in attendance during the pre-match inspection, as was the referee inspector, but neither sought to influence O'Leary's decision.
Even up to the time the players were entitled to enter the field for their pre-match warm-up, scores of stadium workers were closely examining the grass and removing foreign objects from it, understood to be pieces of plastic, although Roar striker Nichols described the pieces as "metal".
In fact, the substandard nature of the playing surface was not principally due to the preponderance of unwanted plastic or other material, but because it was rutted and uneven. It was clear players from both sides found it difficult to control the ball during the game.
Asked if this meant Merrick would prefer to relocate next Tuesday's catch-up game against Adelaide, he replied he preferred to play at Docklands. "I'm sure the groundsman will do a fantastic job by Tuesday, and it should be in much better condition."
Farina said although the pitch was bad, he had encountered a worse surface at Roar's Brisbane home ground following its hosting of a recent concert, saying many venues are "multi-purpose, multi-use and unfortunately there's going to be instances where something like tonight happens."
"It's not ideal, but that's the way it is," he said.
The referee's report, copies of which were released to the media, indicates that O'Leary will also be lodging an Incident Report. As there was nothing warranting such a report during active play, it is likely O'Leary's report will be in relation to the standard of the playing surface.
[Ed. it is a worrying trend this season for sub-standard pitches, with Bluetongue and SFS also very poor for long periods, without the excuse of major events, and only Suncorp being completely remediated. FFA needs to take action for the future.]
The poor quality of the pitch overshadowed the first half, as players of both teams sought to come to grips with things.
Roar continued to seek to play the ball, whereas Melbourne's preferred course was to move the ball quickly through the air, by-passing the midfield. It made for a staccato game, and one neither side took control over.
Queensland should have taken the lead nine minutes in. Matt McKay played a through-ball to his left where fleet-footed youngster Michael Zullo used his speed to advantage, getting to the ball just before it went over the goal-line, and crossed invitingly to the far post. Sergio van Dijk was unmarked and got a clean header, but was wastefully over the bar.
Thompson headed wide at the other end from an equally dangerous position just minutes later. Celeski had combined productively with Carlos Hernandez up the right, allowing the Costa Rican to cross. Thompson rose to meet it with his head, but sent it the wrong side of the post.
Thompson squandered a better chance under pressure from effective central defender Luke de Vere in first-half added time. Hernandez had gathered the ball and sent it through for Tom Pondeljak to chase. Pondeljak crossed first-time where Thompson, closely attended by de Vere, just failed to make the contact which would surely have resulted in a goal.
In between, McKay for Roar, and Allsopp on a free-kick from Hernandez, both had sharp chances which remained unconverted.
Merrick had returned Kevin Muscat to his more usual role as a centre-back alongside Vargas after last week's experiment in midfield. But it was Merrick who needed to make the first line-up alteration during the game, withdrawing winger Evan Berger for Nick Ward shortly after the half-hour. Merrick replaced full-back Michael Thwaite in a straight swap for Matthew Kemp at the start of the second half. Both changes worked to Victory's advantage. "It all matched up so much better," said Merrick. "I felt we took over in the second half."
The game's opening goal came ten minutes after the interval when Hernandez spotted Thompson with space to exploit down the right. Thompson sought to provoke a challenge from Josh McCloughan then decided to outpace the defender, sending in a low cross centrally to where Allsopp had run. Goalkeeper Liam Reddy looked to get the first touch, but succeeded only in directing it onto Allsopp's boot and into the net.
Thompson then had Allsopp return the favour minutes later when Allsopp sent his strike-partner free and behind the Roar defence. Thompson checked inside his marker but shot overly high from just inside the penalty-area.
Sergio should have equalised when he outjumped Sebastian Ryall at the far post on Matt McKay's free-kick, but sent his header wide of the post.
Vargas extended Victory's lead with some quick thinking. After Andrew Packer had fouled Ward, Melbourne had a free kick forty yards out on the left. Hernandez sent forward a perfectly flighted ball which Vargas met, back to goal, diverting the ball enough to evade Reddy's attempt to claim.
"It's something we've been working on at training," said Vargas after the game. "(Celeski) played a fantastic ball in a good area, and I just got a flick on and nodded it over the top of the keeper. That's what we've practised, and it's come off today."
Farina thought Reddy should have contested. "He should have come. It was in the six-yard box, it wasn't a driven-in cross. That's a fundamental error from Liam," he said.
With continued Queensland pressure it was inevitable it would get on the scoreboard. It finally did so when Moore came up from the back and outjumped everyone eight yards out to head home Murdocca's corner with a quarter-hour remaining, setting up an enthralling finish.
Thompson had three golden opportunities inside three minutes to put the game's outcome beyond doubt, but failed to convert any. His first hit the post and cannoned away with Reddy well beaten. His second arose when he was sent free again, cutting inside de Vere before shooting wide. His third resulted in Reddy making a diving save at the Socceroo's feet.
Nichols then had three chances in added time to gain an equaliser or better, bravely lunging at a loose ball inside the area, then a volley which required goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos to dive to divert for a corner, followed by another blast requiring a block from Muscat in the game's last action.
The defeat ends Roar's previously unbeaten away record, but still leaves Queensland in a handy position for Finals action.