Melbourne Heart FC’s reigning player of the year Clint Bolton doesn’t believe his side’s strong record against Sydney FC will be a significant factor ahead of Saturday’s showdown at AAMI Park.
Melbourne Heart FC-s reigning player of the year Clint Bolton doesn-t believe his side-s strong record against Sydney FC will be a significant factor ahead of Saturday-s showdown at AAMI Park.
The Red and White have recorded two victories and three draws in five meetings with Sydney FC, with the side-s last match-up resulting in a 4-0 Heart triumph at Allianz Stadium.
However, form lines will be disregarded when Heart and Sydney clash on Saturday, with the lure of a place in the Hyundai A-League Finals Series on the line.
Sitting a point clear of Sydney FC with two matches remaining, Heart can cement its place in the top six with a win, while defeat will snatch the Club-s destiny from its hands, with John van ‘t Schip-s outfit then dependent on other results to achieve its ambition of a finals berth.
Bolton looms large as a pivotal figure on Saturday night, with the 35-year old in the midst of a strong run of form, which has seen him reassert his status among the competition-s leading glovesmen.
“I don’t want to jinx myself but I haven’t lost to Sydney since I’ve been in Melbourne,” he said.
“So that’s a good thing but it’s just a small thing. I just want to make the finals. It will be a waste of a season if we don’t make it.’”
Bolton, 35, enjoyed a stellar stint in the Harbour City, winning a pair of Hyundai A-League Championships in addition to featuring at the 2005 FIFA Club World Cup, while his form in Sky Blue earned the Bundaberg-native a recall to Socceroo colours in 2006.
Despite his success in Sydney, Bolton admits he will derive a degree of satisfaction in reaching the Hyundai A-League Finals Series at his former side-s expense, but says it isn-t an overriding motivation.
“It will obviously be a bit sweeter because they’re the team I left,” he said.
“It’s just happened by fate that we’re meeting at this stage of the season where there’s so much on the line and, if there’s a victor, they will go through to the top six.”
