Gold Coast post three points in Townsville

The final game of Round 12 saw the North Queensland Fury match up against Gold Coast United with a match that had a little more than the usual three points riding upon it.

7,195 fans poured through the gates to see the Queensland Nickel Cup showdown and also the first of a three game in ten day stretch. The cup is up for grabs annually with the Fury as the current holders needing only a draw to retain the silverware for 2010/2011.

The Fury named an unchanged starting eleven from the side that beat Perth at Dairy Farmers Stadium with their customary 4-4-2 line up named this time by stand in Manager Robbie Middleby. Whilst Franz Straka and Assistant Stuart McLaren were serving respective suspensions, ex-Sydney FC A-League Champion winger-cum-Fury Director Of Football Robbie Middleby took the reins of the club after the FFA shut the door on Mark Bosnich.

Gold Coast United coach Miron Bleiberg wrung four changes to the side that took the park against Melbourne Heart last week with Steve Fitzsimmons and Kristian Rees returning to the side at the back whilst young Ivorian Adama Traore was selected at left wing.

Chris Payne and David Williams were again paired up front but all the action was down the other end in the first ten with Socceroos midfielder Jason Culina finding plenty of room and dictating tempo from the outset.

Gold Coast got on the score sheet early when on ten minutes Zenon Caravella found space on the right wing and cut inside releasing James Brown on the edge of the area. Brown with his first touch took it away from an out of position Sydney FC target Mark Hughes before using precision at pace to cut it inside for the 20 year old Ivorian Traore. The young striker finished with aplomb and with his non-preferred foot nut-megged Simon Storey in the process.

From the restart Mark Hughes was again in trouble for a lack of pace and being out position and cut down Joel Porter who was in on goal. Hughes received a yellow for his efforts.

The game was now stretched as David Williams found room wide in the Gold Coast box after beating two United defenders and released Jack Hingert whose fine shot was saved with superior quality by New Zealander Glen Moss.

On a warm afternoon, United pressurised the Fury in the first half with every opportunity coming down the right wing. Finding great quality possession through Joel Porter and James Brown, United’s right side with guile and cunning created plenty of issues for Andre Kilian at left back for the home side. Middleby needed to remain on the offensive already being a goal down and having Williams as effectively a lone striker due to Chris Payne needing to drop to assist Gareth Edds and Ufuk Talay who were second best to Zenon Caravella and Jason Culina.

As the half wore on though the influence of Payne in midfield however began to grow resulting in good field position and increased freedom of ball movement allowing the Fury to build pressure into the 45th minute.
The Fury struck back after a corner taken in the final 30 seconds of regulation caught the Gold Coast napping. Mark Hughes made amends for his culpability in the first goal, rising well as Kristian Rees left space for the advancing centre back. It was all square at half time and all to play for in the second 45.

After the restart, United continued to find good space down the right hand side with Joel Porter making great opportunities for his team mates. Indeed it was from a corner taken from the right side which Culina took short to Caravella as the latter swung it from a different angle to an approaching Dino Djulbic. The central defender powered a header on goal but straight at Pasfield. Djulbic has been in excellent form in recent weeks commanding possession and organising defence well which has enabled Bleiberg to push Thwaite on into a holding role, which has in turn allowed Culina to get into more advanced positions as a genuine number 10.

As the match approached the hour mark, Middleby thrust Dyron Daal into the action but his role to plug the gap on the right hand side of the United midfield did little to stem the tide. Porter was charging again and released Culina at the top of the box whose deflected shot sailed close to the breaking the deadlock.

From the resulting corner a deep ball was played to Rees at the far post who headed it back across the face to an unmarked Porter. The evergreen striker had strayed into an offside position prior to placing the leather into the goal and was rightly disallowed.

Bleiberg answered Middleby’s strategic placement of Daal removing Fitzsimmons for the skilful Tahj Minniecon. The trickster immediately nutmugged Mark Hughes with his first touch and Bleiberg’s move had wrestled back the initiative as both sides chased three points the final 20 minutes.

The Fury slowed the game down and elected to play a measured possession based game which resulted in the North Queenslanders gaining ascendancy which they had not enjoyed at any stage in the first half.

This provoked Middleby to play his final card bringing on Ugandan striker Eugene Sseppuya and withdrawing fullback Jack Hingert, effectively going for broke for the three points.

It nearly paid immediate dividends with Sseuppuya providing a ball for Edds at the top of the box whose sliced shot drifted marginally wide of the top corner as the healthy crowd began to sense three points.

Bleiberg decided not to call Middleby’s bluff and fight fire with fire instead thanking goal scorer Traore for his efforts in favour of Steve Pantelidis to strengthen the Gold Coast midfield and allowing Brown to venture forward with Minniecon. Bleiberg’s hope was that the game would open up, providing opportunities on the counter for United to snatch three points away from home.

Bleiberg made his final move of the night removing Porter who played an excellent talismanic shift for the Gold Coast outfit. The experienced campaigner earnt a well deserved rest for Brazilian Robson who would further strengthen the midfield line.

And then in the 84th minute the game breaker came for Gold Coast United. A lob by Robson after exchanging passes with Culina from the free kick met the head of Dino Djulbic and the ball nestled in the Fury goal past Pasfield. This, coming against the run of play, frustrated the home crowd. Djulbic has been a star in recent weeks and is reportedly extremely focussed in training.

Djulbic almost became the villain though, giving away a dangerous free kick on the edge of the area as David Williams nearly got in behind on the right hand side. The free kick was played in well and substitute Pantelidis was nearly caught out of position but recovered well to clear. Play stopped for a free kick after Glen Moss was fouled by Sseppuya and a fight nearly broke out between a normally jovial Michael Thwaite and Steve Pantelidis. The dispute appeared to be over who was responsible for the defence of the free kick.

It would finish 2-1, however, in favour of United whose away win will stand them in good stead for another tough away assignment at the other end of the country at Etihad against a resurgent Melbourne Victory.

The Fury see the Heart in the midweek match that kicks off Round 13, again at Dairy Farmers Stadium.