Central Coast Mariners played a whirlwind first half at Bluetongue Stadium in Gosford on Friday night to take the lead 1-0 and eventually the game, but could not keep the pace up or put 10-man Heart to the sword in the second half.
The odd scheduling of the FFA this season saw the Mariners playing the Heart for the second time in 6 weeks and after their close away win, and playing at home, they started slight favourites - though the return of John Aloisi added to John van 't Schip's arsenal and both teams had a win last round. With the A-League in its 6th season we are starting to see former team-mates facing off more frequently and this one had three former Mariners coming north with Heart - John Aloisi, Michael Beauchamp, and Dean Heffernan - to add to the interest. Of course the Coast's star recruit Patricio Perez had this one more week out suspended.
Daniel McBreen's return to form was underlined when he scored with an excellent header at the far post in the 20th minute.
The Mariners started well with Olyroo Olly Bozanic getting up on the left and hitting a cross that just cleared Danile McBreen free in the area.
Heart's first chance came when Aziz Behich shot through a sea of legs in the 11th minute after a poor clearance by the Mariners off a Heart corner from the right.
Four minutes later Heart 'keeper Clint Bolton made what might be the save of the round when Daniel McBreen latched onto a ball from Bozanic, swivelling in the area and blasting it point blank at Bolton. The experienced shot stopper reacted very fast to parry it to the left side of his goal for a corner.
In the 20th minute the Mariners added to their impressive fast, short passing game to that point, with the goal.
After Matt Ryan had cleared long Matt Simon carried to ball into edge of the penalty area but covered by Simon Colosimo he turned right and pushed the ball out to Michael McGlinchey who had positioned himself wide on the right. He drew a defender then slipped it inside to an unmarked Pedj Bojic, who curled it first time over to the left where McBreen met it with his head and steered it into the right side of the net. 1-0
Last week's hero Nicholas Kalmar hit a snapshot on the run which tested Mariner's 18 year old 'keeper Matthew Ryan, but the glove-man took it cleanly and continued to grow in confidence through the game.
The send-off in the 53rd minute of Michael Beauchamp had a marked effect on the game. Beauchamp was shown a straight red card by referee Peter Green after appearing to lean forward to head-butt Mariners' Oliver Bozanic after a rough tangle between the two had seen both hit the deck.
The second half offered more of the same as the Mariners attack continued, without result, as chances logged up to Adam Kwasnik, Matt Simon, McBreen, and Bozanic.
The tide turned as the Heart went down to 10-men and the home side seemed to lose their way. Indeed with the infusion of John Aloisi and Jason Hoffman up front it was the Heart who perhaps threatened to snatch one back. On the sideline Mariners choach Graham Arnold was not a happy-chappy.
The Heart defender and Socceroo had an evening and 'home-coming' to forget after earlier spending two lengthy spells of the first half on the sideline as Heart's medical staff tried to stem a flow of blood from his nose following an early injury. The Mariners did not seem to know how to play against 10-men and had almost let them back in.
Mariners coach Graham Arnold was happy with the win and the first 55-60 minutes of play but stated that, "though I thought the boys played exceptionally well, but we've only just spoken about being ruthless in front of goal. We should have gone on to get 3 or 4. When you don't get the second goal you always give them an opportunity."
The win saw the Coast temporarily join Perth and Adelaide on 11 competition points but with no games in hand they need to keep gathering points, whilst Heart has to hold Wellington at home next week to keep away from the bottom half. The Mariners are next in action when they take on Gold Coast United next Sunday, 19 September at Skilled Park. Kick-off is at 5:00pm.