Gold Coast Send Adelaide to Bottom at Hindmarsh

Adelaide United 0 – Gold Coast United 3
Gold Coast United heaped further misery on a terrible start to the season for homestanding Adelaide United in a 3-0 rout at Hindmarsh. The Reds were not without chances but Gold Coast made theirs count as Ben Halloran scored from a deflection, Maceo Rigters cracked a goal from outside the box and Dylan Macallister scored in injury time for the visitors. After finishing third in 2010/11, Adelaide find themselves in tenth place amid a five-game winless streak. The three points for the Queensland club were enough to lift them above Adelaide but still leave Gold Coast in ninth place. The win was only the second on the season for Gold Coast, snapping a six-game winless streak.

10-Man Victory Survive Gold Coast

Melbourne Victory 3 – Gold Coast United 2
Two goals up after 22 minutes, Melbourne Victory had Rody Vargas sent off, conceded twice and needed a header from Carlos Hernández, of all people, to emerge with a 3-2 win over Gold Coast United at AAMI Park. Playing their first game of the season at AAMI, the Victory looked to have the match wrapped after a first minute penalty was converted by Harry Kewell and a 22nd minute spot kick was scored by Hernández. But Vargas went in on Gol-Gol Mebrahtu with two feet and with studs up, earning a straight red card in the 33rd minute. Mebrahtu won a penalty just before half-time, which was scored by substitute Dylan Macallister, bringing the visitors back into the game. Peter Jungschläger brought further intrigue when he scored just two minutes after the break to level the score and bring reminders of the Victory’s lost two-goal lead just a week earlier. But Hernández headed in an Archie Thompson chip in the 79th minute to finally secure all three points for the home side. Kristian Rees did keep it interesting to the end, hitting the post, just as Jonas Salley had done in the first half, but it was not to be for the A-League’s bottom side. Melbourne jump all the way to third place with the three points, clearing Sydney FC on goal difference.

Wellington Phoenix 2 – Sydney FC 1
Speaking of Sydney, they were the lesser side for the majority of their match away to Wellington, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Phoenix at Westpac Stadium. Though the crowds did not turn out as they’d done in Auckland last weekend, the Yellow Fever were treated to an early goal from the spectacular Paul Ifill and and stunning goal from Tim Brown. The latter will surely be atop the list for Goal of the Year in the A-League as the midfielder slipped around Nicky Carle to claim Liam Reddy’s clearance before lobbing the helpless keeper from nearly fifty yards. That 59th minute goal was vital as a weird goal from Bruno Cazarine pulled one back for the visitors in the 70th minute. Yet the Phoenix were able to hold on with Mirjan Pavlović playing a key role in continuing the home side’s pressure to the end. Gathering full points from a top three (at the time) club was a good win for Wellington and lifts them to eighth place, just a point out of finals football and just two points shy of third place. Sydney had two shouts for penalties in the match, finally do not get a late equalizer or winner and sink to fourth place, now behind Melbourne Victory on goal difference.

Sydney Flip Gold Coast to Reach Fourth

Sydney FC 3 – Gold Coast United 2
Trailing 2-0 after 46 minutes, Sydney FC found a way to come from behind and defeat Gold Coast United 3-2 in front of 11,051 at the Sydney Football Stadium. Goals from Kristian Rees and Dylan Macallister had the visitors in a comfortable position, at least on the score line, just moments after half-time and were preparing to jump into fourth place on the ladder. Instead, a goal from Bruno Cazarine on the hour got the Sky Blues back into the game and an equalizer from Nicky Carle just three minutes later set the stage for the dramatic ending. Thirty minutes after the fourth goal of the game, Macallister was controversially whistled for a foul on Michael Beauchamp in the box late in injury time. Karol Kisel (pictured) converted the resulting penalty and Sydney took all three points. Gold Coast will surely have a complaint about the ending, though the comeback is quickly becoming a trend for Sydney, having taken points from each of their last three matches after initially trailing.