Melbourne Heart have fended off a late comeback from the Gold Coast to take a point away from Skilled Park in a 1-1 draw of two halves.
The home side charged back in the second half after the Heart started the brighter, but faded when captain Fred was forced off with injury after just over half an hour.
Heart heaped the pressure on the Coast early on, with smooth work down the left between Behich and Worm making short work of the United defence, but the breakthrough came from a set piece on the right.
With only 9 minutes gone, the Melbourne had a free about 30 out. The ball was slid to Sarkies, whose strike curled around the two-man wall, just clipping a head on the way through. United ‘keeper Jerrad Tyson couldn't scramble fast enough and the ball sailed into the back of the net.
Advantage Melbourne, and looking very comfortable for it, beating the Gold Coast in every match up, but the whole complexion changed after Fred pulled up with a reoccurring groin injury in the 38th minute.
Even before the break, Gold Coast had a great attempt at goal when Beekmans' cross was met well by Kristian Rees, but came back off the inside of the post. Rees scrambled to the rebound, but his stretched shot was parried away by Bolton to keep his sides lead going into the sheds.
After the break the Heart just never seemed interested, almost expecting to be able to get away with the points, but the Gold Coast smelt it and pushed hard.
United probed during the second half and the Heart struggled to retain possession. Gold Coast did get their breakthrough at the 72nd minute mark, and after that it was mayhem to the finish.
Rigters nipped the goal into the back of the net with a bouncing backheel after Rees again won a chipped cross and drove it towards goal. It was into traffic, but had enough pace, and Rigters had the presence of mind to flick it on.
After that, United rose to mount an assault on the Heart goal. The crowd, which just scraped 2,000, managed to make some kind of noise by hitting their palms against each other. Some even passed air through their vocal chords forming a tune. There were three closed stands, but at least I didn't feel like I was putting the players off if I had to take a call.
Honestly, it was like watching a pre-season park game. You could hear the referee telling the players to hurry up. You could hear Melbourne's catchphrase ‘second' being constantly shouted (after much debate, the 'Back-of-the-Net-SEQ-Team' decided that Heart want to be second to every ball. Interesting tactically, but who's going to question results?) You could hear some of the questionable nicknames of players, some more culturally insensitive than others.
But moving on, the Gold Coast did surge late. James Brown, easily United's player of the season so far, was zipping around the box and down the wings. Adama Traore was pushing up into midfield and has a lot of pace and great delivery.
Beekmans was on the receiving end of two well placed crosses, hitting the post on both occasions, one low volley just coming out off the inside of the post, the other, a firm header going wide.
Gold Coast other constant goal threat Kristian Rees was making late runs into the box, always in the right place for a header, but perhaps Gold Coast just use his head as a kind of beacon for crosses.
As much as United pushed, Heart somehow held on, but never really looked like getting the winner themselves. They looked genuinely out of ideas after Fred went off, quite reminiscent of another team who look incredible with their import and a little ordinary without. A draw. Neither team will be particularly happy, but neither can really complain. It was a one-all draw. At least there was no violence, maybe Clive will open up another stand next time.