Soccer: Debutant jitters and team surprises set scene for week four

The Phoenix will be without key defender Manny Muscat. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Debutants - and not just players - added plenty of spice to week four of the A-League.

In a round in which North Queensland Fury lost for the first time, title favourites Melbourne Victory won their first game and four clubs were left still searching for their first win of the season, debut outings played a part.

Central Coast Mariners debutant goalkeeper Matthew Ryan was left ruing a fumble into the path of Sydney's Rhyan Grant, who pushed home for 1-0 two minutes after the break following a scoreless first half. The vastly more experienced Sydney goalkeeper Liam Reddy figured in the 72nd minute equaliser.

In bringing down Patricio Perez, on debut for the Mariners, Reddy not only conceded a penalty but was sent off and left replacement custodian Ivan Necevski to face Perez. His first task to pull the ball out of the back of his net.

Perez continued to lead the Mariners in their search for a match-winner but failed to unlock a desperate Sydney defence. Three of the home team players were yellow-carded in as many minutes.

North Queensland's Brett Studman would prefer to forget the goal he scored on debut in Townsville as the hosts scored first and last but still went down 3-2 to Adelaide United.

Isaka Cernak gave the Fury their eighth minute lead. Marcos Flores equalised 14 minutes later for a halftime score of 1-1. Five minutes into the second spell Studman scored an own goal to give the visitors a 2-1 lead which Daniel Mullen stretched to 3-1 six minutes later.

David Williams got one back in the 88th minute but that was not enough to keep the Fury's unbeaten run alive.

A pathetic 3624 fans turned up at Skilled Park in Robina to watch Gold Coast United slump 1-0 to the Victory. That was barely 1000 more than the club's smallest crowd.

Robbie Kruse settled it with his 20th minute strike after jinking his way past former Victory goalkeeper Glen Moss to claim Melbourne's sixth goal in four outings.

At AAMI Park, Melbourne Heart went close to claiming their first A-League triumph only to be denied by a crucial call from rookie referee Keert Ams who awarded visiting Perth Glory a penalty three minutes into stoppage time. Minutes after Robbie Fowler had netted from the spot to score his first goal for the West Australians, Glory coach David Mitchell said he felt it had been a lucky call.

Debutant Ams turned down a penalty shout for the home side inside a minute but gave them one three minutes later which Gerald Sibon converted.

Michael Marrone then scored a 19th minute own goal to get Perth back to 1-1. Nick Kalmar put Heart back in front after 37 minutes. They held that advantage until that last-ditch penalty.

The Wellington Phoenix, beaten 1-0 at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night, face the testing trip to Perth this week leaving on Thursday for a Sunday clash at nib Stadium. The Phoenix will be without key defender Manny Muscat - on international duty with Malta - and new signing Jade North, in a similar call from the Socceroos.