by Alan Ions
Heidelberg United and Port Melbourne faced off in an exciting match on Saturday night, with the Warriors managing to keep their unbeaten record intact. The game was a hard-fought battle between both teams, with each side giving it their all, and in the end, points were shared.
The Warriors got off to a great start, taking the lead early on through a goal from Asahi. Heidelberg continued to dominate play, providing attack opportunities one after another. However, against the run of play, Port Melbourne equalised on a counter-attack, and the score was locked in at 1-1 at halftime.
The second half started with even more intensity and spirited play from both sides. Each team was determined to win at all costs, and the referee had his work cut out trying to keep the game in check handing out 7 yellow cards and a red card in the day.
Heidelberg once again took the lead through a well-placed strike from Kaine Sheppard on 54 minutes.
To Port Melbourne’s credit they did not sit back and challenged Heidelberg at every opportunity. On the 60th minute mark, Heidelberg was reduced to 10 men after captain Adrian Zahra was shown a second yellow card. This put the Warriors under pressure for the next 30 minutes to hold onto their lead. The defence was under sustained attack, but the boys held out each and every attack from Port Melbourne.
Port Melbourne eventually managed to score, but despite protests from Heidelberg players and fans for a handball, the goal stood. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, but the Warriors can still be proud of their unbeaten record and their impressive display of skill and determination.
