Smeltz all class, while classic match one of the best
It was Super Saturday for Hyundai A-League fans with arguably one of the best match’s ever seen in the brief history of the competition, played out between Melbourne Victory and Brisbane Roar, while Shane Smeltz grabbed four goals as Gold Coast United steamrolled North Queensland Fury 5-0 at Skilled Stadium.
Super Saturday is what Fox Sports are calling their extensive Saturday football coverage and it couldn-t have begun any better with two magnificent matches in the Hyundai A-League.
First up was the battle of the league-s two newest teams at Skilled Stadium and it turned out to be the Shane Smeltz show, as he scored four goals in a dominant Gold Coast performance that only further emphasised their potential as title challengers this season.
But it was the following match at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne that will have many fans in a lather over the football on display and in particular the world class goals in the pulsating 3-3 draw.
Five of the six goals were from the top drawer, with Melbourne twice coming from two goals down, which ensured both teams earned their first point of the season.
It was a classic match between two very good sides that on this evidence are sure to figure prominently come the business of the season.
The Victory looked destined for consecutive home losses to start the season when Danny Tiatto fired in a long range effort and Sergio van Dijk converted a spot kick to make it 2-0 inside 23 minutes. While Carlos Hernandez pulled one back with a cracking goal of his own, a brilliant run and finish from Henrique made it 3-1 at the break.
However, Melbourne rescued a point when Danny Allsopp turned and fired accurately just after the hour before a Hernandez free-kick bullet on 70 minutes saw both sides claim their first point of the season.
Melbourne started brightly enough, but Tiatto turned the game with his audacious effort on 21 minutes. Matt McKay teed up the veteran midfielder out on the right and he hit a brilliant 30-yard shot that rifled inside Glen Moss- left post.
Two minutes later it was even worse for Melbourne when Henrique-s mazy was stopped inside the box by Matthew Kemp and Van Dijk finished from penalty spot in emphatic style.
But Melbourne is not the defending champions for nothing and they pulled a goal back when Hernandez finished good work on the right by Nick Ward, with a magnificent first time effort that crashed into the top corner of the net. It was an appropriate way to mark the Hyundai A-League's 1000th goal.
However, Melbourne's hopes of getting back level at half-time were scuppered by another mazy Henrique run. The Brazilian wasn't waiting to be stopped this time around and, after wrong-footing Kemp and Tom Pondeljak, delivered a quality strike which made it 3-1.
Henrique should have made it 4-1 immediately after the break, but was thwarted by a goal line clearance by Vargas.
The quality goals kept coming though and Melbourne was pressing hard to get back in the game and after a concerted period of dominance, finally got its reward on 63 minutes. Kemp had ventured forward and delivered the ball back for Hernandez, who put in a high cross. Allsopp and Luke De Vere contested the ball, it looped in the air and Allsopp turned and smashed it past Reddy to make it 3-2.
Seven minutes later it was 3-3 after Ney Fabiano was upended just outside the box. Hernandez took the free kick and curled it deliciously in from the left past Reddy and sent the home crowd into delirium.
With the momentum behind them, the hosts looked the more likely to conjure a winner and Thompson and Ney Fabiano were both denied by Reddy in the latter stages. Up the other end, van Dijk forced a reflex save from Moss, while Miller miscued a bicycle kick.
Both sides were exhausted late in the match and fittingly it finished level, with both sides getting what they deserved.
At Skilled Stadium, Gold Coast showed no mercy in the battle of the Hyundai A-League new-comers, dominating North Queensland Fury with a 5-0 victory at Skilled Park on Saturday night.
After a rusty start Smeltz opened the scoring in the 29th minute, then poured on three goals in 10 minutes midway through the second half.
By the 80th minute the home side was toying with its Queensland rival when Tahj Minniecon grabbed its fifth in a brilliant solo effort.
The first goal came on the half hour after complete domination by the home side, Adama Traore incepting a diagonal ball and putting his skipper Jason Culina into space. With the blink of an eye, Culina curled a 20 metre through ball off the outside of his boot to find Smeltz who made easy work of a good opportunity.
Smeltz got his second just nine minutes into the second term from the penalty spot after Michael Thwaite-s surging run into the box was stopped by Beau Busch illegally.
It wasn-t long before Smeltz had his third and fourth in the space of a minute as the Fury-s defence began to crumble.
The first of the two came after a smart give-and-go with Joel Porter landed him in open space with only the keeper to beat, and the next came on a good cross from Steven Fitzsimmons.
Minniecon rounded off the scoring when he was played through by Culina and he left defenders and Fury keeper Paul Henderson sprawled on the ground, as he neatly finished off United's demolition job.