Melbourne Heart FC shook its Adelaide United hoodoo on Friday night with a commanding 2-0 win, continuing the Red and White’s hot streak of form at AAMI Park.
Melbourne Heart FC shook its Adelaide United hoodoo on Friday night with a commanding 2-0 win, continuing the Red and White-s hot streak of form at AAMI Park.
Heart-s dynamic duo of Josip Tadic and Richard Garcia netted either side of the break, to send the high-flying Reds back to South Australia with their tails between their legs.
With just one win in seven attempts against Adelaide prior to kick off, Heart jumped into fifth position on the ladder with a determined performance which sees the Red and White collect maximum points on home soil in 2013.
Clinical Croatian Tadic and the energetic Garcia stretched their goal-scoring partnership to 11, ending a winless run against the Reds since 17 December 2010.
Heart, who had suffered against Sydney FC last week, illustrated wounds can quickly heal as Tadic struck five minutes into the first half and then Garcia five minutes into the second to seal a morale-boosting triumph.
As it has done on regular occasion at home this season, Heart started with enthusiasm and intent and in just the second minute, David Williams fired a warning shot over Eugene Galekovic-s bar.
Just four minutes later, Heart snatched the lead, with a well-worked short set piece paying dividends for the second week running.
Williams played a short corner to Fred, who whipped a pin-point cross into the six-yard box where Tadic peeled off Iain Fyfe and planted a head past Galekovic for his sixth goal of the campaign.
Heart looked in control in midfield with Garcia, Fred, Matt Thompson and Jonatan Germano combining well.
However, it wasn-t all smooth sailing in the first period for Heart.
Andrew Redmayne was forced to swat away a low Dario Vidosic cross, before Adelaide almost hit back when Evan Kostopoulos made progress down the right to cut back for Vidosic.
However, Adelaide-s number 10 shot over the bar with two minutes left before the half-time whistle.
Heart nearly made Adelaide pay immediately as Fred slipped in Williams on the left, but Galekovic saved well and the rebound just evaded the lurking Tadic.
Cameron Watson then fired in another scare for Heart in added time as both teams exchanged blows as the half drew to a close.
It was Heart who emerged hungrier in the second period.
A workman-like Thompson set up the second goal, pinching the ball from Kostopoulos before fending off a challenge to slip the ball for Garcia who slotted through Galekovic-s legs.
Heart-s hopes of closing out the match without interference were dashed when Fred was removed with a quad strain just five minutes later, prompting a reshuffled with Kalmar entering the fray.
But a solid performance from Heart-s back four, consisting of 19-year-old Tasmanian Jeremy Walker, Simon Colosimo, Patrick Gerhardt and Aziz Behich help to keep the Reds under wraps and earn a valuable three points.
Friday 18 January
Hyundai A-League Round 17
Melbourne Heart FC 2 (Josip Tadic 5-, Richard Garcia)
Adelaide United FC 0
Attendance: 7181
Melbourne Heart FC line-up: 20.Andrew Redmayne (gk), 4.Simon Colosimo, 5.Fred (c) (22.Nick Kalmar 55-), 6.Patrick Gerhardt, 8.Matthew Thompson, 10.Josip Tadic (9.Dylan Macallister 90+1-), 11.Richard Garcia, 13.Jonatan Germano, 15.David Williams (19.Ben Garuccio 90-), 16.Aziz Behich, 25.Jeremy Walker
Substitutes not used: 1.Clint Bolton (gk)
Yellow Cards: Behich 82-
Red Cards: Nil
Adelaide United FC line-up: 1.Eugene Galekovic (gk) (c), 5.Iain Fyfe, 6.Cassio (4.Jon McKain 71-), 10.Dario Vidosic (7.Zenon Caravella 64-), 12.Antony Golec, 14.Cameron Watson, 16.Daniel Bowles, 17.Iain Ramsay, 18.Fabian Barbiero, 21.Jeronimo Neumann (19.Jake Barker-Daish 77-), 23.Evan Kostopoulos
Substitutes not used: 30.John Hall (gk)
Yellow Cards: Fyfe 21-, Golec 52-
Red Cards: Nil
