Melbourne Heart no longer Sydney's kryptonite

Sydney FC truly are a different type of team than the Wanderers, who beat Melbourne Heart in their first encounter. In the three seasons Heart have been a part of the competition the first club in Sydney have never won a game against Melbourne Heart.

Until now. 

Sydney FC tonight defeated Heart 2-1 in extra time. Like superheroes.

Ali Abbas didn't give Alé the clap. Credit: Kristy Beck

Melbourne Heart took the lead over the Sky Blues however and for the majority of the match it looked as though Sydney would again succumb to their kryptonite team.

Fringe Socceroo Richard Garcia knocked one in on 24 minutes after Nick Kalmar floated a cross from the left in to the far post.

Sydney midfielder Ali Abbas was strangely substituted in the 39th minute and Alessandro Del Piero had plenty to say to the angry Iraqi as he went off.

The exact incident that caused the marquee man to fire up is unclear but I'm betting the house Abbas wasn't making a passing comment on the fiscal cliff.

Just before the break Seb Ryall headed the ball in the net for Sydney only to be rightfully called offside for the effort.

In the 70th minute Brett Emerton was offered the equaliser on a platter after Yau put in a huge effort to reclaim possession and cross. The Aussie marquee replied with perhaps the miss of the season, shooting both over and across the open goalmouth. Even Torres would have scored it.

Emerton redeemed himself 15 minutes later after a pinpoint pass from I can't believe I'm saying this Terry McFlynn who chipped the ball into the box for Emmo to hammer through 'keeper Redmayne.

A high tempo finale to the match climaxed in extra time when Del Piero curled a ball in from the edge of the box and found Rhyan Grant's head and the back of the net.

2-1 to Sydney FC and the home team end their Heart voodoo with a we-were-less-bad-than-you-were performance.