Melbourne Heart twice came from two goals behind to record a sensational 7-4 victory over Brisbane Roar in a Foxtel National Youth goalfest on Saturday.
Melbourne Heart twice came from two goals behind to record a sensational 7-4 victory over Brisbane Roar in a Foxtel National Youth goalfest at Epping Stadium on Saturday.
Roar led 2-0 and 4-2 after goals from Devante Clut, Steven Lustica, Brandon Borrello and Jai Ingham before Heart engineered two stunning fightbacks that eventually resulted in a big victory.
Alex Dao and Marcus Schroen cancelled out the first Brisbane lead before Jeremy Walker and Michael Mifsud brought Heart level again midway through the second-half.
A penalty to Hernan Espindola secured Heart first lead of the match before Ersin Kaya and Dao’s second goal sealed the win.
After having an early sight on goal, Clut curled in a wonderful strike from outside the box to open the scoring for Roar on 28 minutes.
Brisbane extended their lead in the 37th minute with Lustica finishing off a beautiful move from the penalty spot after Borrello’s precise cut back.
Two minutes later, Heart pulled a goal back with Mifsud going round the outside of his marker and pulling the ball back to Dao, who placed it in the top corner.
Despite Roar looking the more dangerous side in the first half, Heart drew level just before the break with Mifsud’s side-footed effort striking the post and Schroen was at hand to tap in to the empty net.
The extraordinary second-half began with Borrello scoring an easy-tap in the 50th minute in after Jack Hingert pass deflected into the six-yard box.
Brisbane again established a two-goal lead on 53 minutes after Ingham executed a delightful shimmy outside the area before curling a wonderful shot past Heart goalkeeper Phillip Petrovski.
But from that moment on, Heart went on a scoring rampage started by Walker’s 30-yard strike in the 64th minute.
The equaliser was scored on 66 minutes by Mifsud after he slid the ball past Chalmers from Kaya’s right-wing cross.
Heart then extraordinarily took the lead from the spot a minute later with Espindola converting after Mifsud was brought down in the area.
Mifsud turned provider in the 79th minute with his weighted pass being controlled and calmly slotted home by Kaya.
Dao became the only multiple goalscorer in the game in the 86th minute with his crisp finish securing Heart’s seventh goal.
The three points for Heart sees them leapfrog Brisbane into fifth position on 25 points, with the Roar dropping to sixth-place on 26 points.
Melbourne Heart 7 (Dao 39′ 86′, Schroen 45′, Walker 64′, Mifsud 66′, Espindola 67’pen, Kaya 79′ )
Brisbane Roar 4 (Clut 28′, Lustica 37′, Borello 50′ Ingham 53′)
Melbourne Heart:2. Jeremy Walker, 3. Phillip Petreski, 4. Andrew Mullett, 5. Ross Archibald (C), 6. Alex Dao, 8. Paulo Retre (7., 9. Michael Mifsud, 10. Marcus Schroen (12. Stip Andrijasevic 61′) , 11. Luke O’Dea (14. Ersin Kaya 56′), 15. Sam Mitchinson, 16. Phillip Petrovski (GK)
Brisbane Roar: 1. Fraser Chalmers (GK), 2. Jack Hingert, 3. Corey Brown, 4. Lachlan Jackson, 5. Sam Cronin, 6. Steve Lustica, 7. Shannon Brady (14. Kofi Danning 61′), 9. Jai Ingham (17. Sam Altundag 61′), 10. Devante Clut, 11. Brandon Borrello, 16. Patrick Theodore (12. Julius Davies 61′)
