The hoodoo of the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium continues, with the Perth Glory stealing a point from Melbourne Heart after debutant referee, Kurt Ams, gave a controversial penalty against Kliment Taseski in the 90+1 minute. Robbie Fowler finished from the spot, for his first goal in Perth Glory colours. Many a Heart fan was disappointed by the decision, which leaves their side sitting on the bottom of the table. Perth Glory fans, however, would be happy to take a point away from the match.
Both sides have came into this match at either end of the table. Melbourne Heart were looking to register their first win for the season, while the Glory were looking to secure their rightful ownership of top of the table. This is the Glory's second trip to Melbourne in as many weeks.
It was a tale of two halves, with the Heart easily dominating the first half of the match. The Heart were full of energy and running with crisp passing wide and through the centre of the park.
Melbourne Heart had a very early chance in the first minute of the match, with Alex Terra breaking away on the right hand side, before Tando Velaphi made a great clearance of the ball in the penalty box.
The match opened up with a 5th minute penalty converted by Gerald Sibon, his first in the A-League. A great through ball from the penalty taker into a dangerous Alex Terra who was brought down by Naum Sekulovski, who was yellow carded for his actions.
In the first 15 minutes, Melbourne Heart's passing was quite fluent, creating a lot of space in the Perth Glory's defensive half.
Perth's responds was a disasters display of defence by the Melbourne Heart, which seems to have become their signature this year. Michael Marrone has scored an own goal by chesting the ball into the back of the net after Brendan Hamill flicked on a Robbie Fowler cross in the 19th minute. Clint Bolton was stuck in Purgatory after coming off his line, than deciding not to punch the ball clear.
Melbourne Heart took the lead again in the 37th minute, after a beautiful low strike by Nicholas Kalmar from the left hand side to the far post. It came about after a free kick by Dean Heffernan from the right hand side was not cleared by the Glory defence. The ball pinballed around a variety of player's bodies, before popping out to a free Kalmar.
The first half was all Melbourne Heart. They controlled the ball very well and every time they went forward, the Glory defence looked at sixes and sevens. On the other side of the ledger, the Glory looked impudent in attack, with Robbie Flower parking himself wide on the right hand side. As most sides have tried to do this season, they have attacked Heffernan and Worm on the left hand side of the Heart's defence.
After halftime, the match swung to the Glory who had made the lion share of possession and the chances. The Heart did not trouble the Glory defence in the second half, containing the attacking duo of Sibon and Terra, and than later in the half Babalj and Behich.
The second half started very slowly, both sides lacking creativity on there attacking half. Michael Marrone came off the field with an cramp, which seemed odd as the conditions were not taxing and the pace of the game was very slow.
The first real action of the second half came about through a great save by Clint Bolton in the 71st minute, Robbie Fowler shot in a thunder bolt, 18 yards out after Todd Howarth skinned Kliment Taseski on the left hand side and crossed it to the centre of the park to an open Fowler. Bolton again saved the day after Sekulovski made a diagonal run into the box and Bolton spread himself in the 79th minute.
Michael Baird looked very rusty in his return match to the A-League, after finally receiving international clearance from his Romanian club. He was caught offside twice early and any other run he made did not scare the Heart defence in any way.
But in the end, he was difference maker, going down in the box, after a challenge by Nicholas Taseski, which on replays looked dubious at best. Robbie Fowler like the ultimate professional, finished it from the spot to tie up the game in the 92nd minute.