In front of a record A-League crowd at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, the Heart has taken the bragging rights and the 3 points from the Melbourne Derby.
This is only the Heart's second win at the Rectangular Stadium for the calendar year of 2011 but puts them 2nd on the ladder, on equal games with the Brisbane Roar and world as their oyster.
The matched kicked off with a bang. The Victory dominated territory and possession for the first 5 minutes. The Heart turned the ball over just in there own half and Hernandez broke away. Fred tried his hardest, tugging on his jersey. Referee Delovski called play on and advantage to which Hernandez played a lovely through ball for Archie Thompson. Thompson was one on one with Clint Bolton in the penalty box and Bolton dived straight at Thompson's feet going away from the goals.
Delovski had no choice but to point to the spot and issue Bolton with the first yellow card for the match. Up steps the man who was the architect, Carlos Hernandez to finish off what he had started. After throwing off what looked like a golf ball from the penalty area and takes the penalty. It is a thundering right foot going left at head height. Bolton and Hernandez suddenly change dispositions. Bolton stretches and dives to his right and makes a two handed parry. All of a sudden Bolton becomes Hero and prevents Victory from taking an early lead in this derby.
The 21st minute saw what can only be described as a dumb piece of Football and a absolute piece of genius. Ante Covic took a goal kick, Harry Kewell and Adrian Madaschi went up to contest the ball and both jumped no further than 2 inches off the ground. The ball flew over the cuckoo nest and Archie Thompson like a bird of prey swopped on the ball. He beat Brendan Hamill chipping him with his first touch and than the genius in Thompson chipped Clint Bolton, who was well off his line to score the first goal of the match. 1 - 0 to the Melbourne Victory.
The Heart had their first opportunity in the 31st minute. Aziz Behich created space on the left and put in a lovely cross right at the feet of Eli Babalj. All Babalj had to do is put it past Covic; instead he tried to go through him. Covic said, thank you and parried the ball over for a corner. The corner resulted to nothing spectacular.
In the 37th minute, the Heart took advantage of a quick free kick in their own half. Fred played it on to Michael Marrone whose def long pass found Rutger Worm on the left hand side. All of a sudden, the Heart had 3 on 2. Thompson had to time his run to perfection, to which he did. Worm put in a short through ball and Thompson beats a diving Covic to his right. The game becomes squared up and the adventure continues.
Two minutes later, the Victory concede a second goal. Leigh Broxham turned over an easy ball, kicking the ball into the feet of Fred. The Heart turned defence into attack, with Fred putting a through ball for that man again, Matthew Thompson who easily outpaced Fabio for the ball. Thompson than saw Covic well off his line and replicated his namesake and chipped the keeper. The Thompson and Thompson show was on stage, with Tin Tin and Snowy nowhere to be seen. 2-1 to the Red side of town going into the halftime break.
At the start of the second half, the match opened up and both sides attacked the flanks of either side.
The 62nd minute rolls around and the Heart have a corner. Dugandzic plays the ball into the middle of the penalty box, the Victory attempted to clear the ball but only as far one of the Thompson twins, of the Matt variety. His header found a free Alex Terra at the corner the 6-yard box. He played the ball off his shoulder and in typical Terra style, took the ball in mid air with a sideways leap to finish another superb goal. 3-1 to the Heart with enough wind to steer Captain Haddock's ship to Southampton.
The last 28 minutes turned a little scrappy, with both sides having plenty of chances.
A consolation goal was scored in the 92nd minute with Carlos Hernandez showing the crowd what his is capable of 20 yards out but couldn't do from the penalty spot.
The pressure is now on Mehmet Durakovic to figure out what do to with his superstar side. Whether he has the noise to get results, time will tell.
For Van't Schip, his side is flying along after a very slow start to the season with plenty of people asking the question of "where this team were headed?" 12 rounds in, sitting 2nd on the table and looking like a genuine contender.