Soccer: Knights miss out but new blood shines

The scoreline gave the game to the Melbourne Victory over the Knights at North Harbour Stadium last night. The reality was different.

Led by the inspirational Jeremy Brockie, the Knights finally shook off the shackles and the off-field hassles to turn in their best performance of the Hyundai A-League season.

Even without captain Danny Hay, the Knights finally showed they can play some half-decent football.

It was a game played at a firecracker pace from the outset with the visitors having slightly the better of the early exchanges but without turning half-chances into goals.

Indeed, the breakthrough goal was 28 minutes in coming and then through a dodgy penalty call from Wellington-based referee Peter O'Leary, who ruled against the challenge made by Frank van Eijs on Archie Thompson. Captain Kevin Muscat converted from the spot.

That joy was short-lived.

Zenon Carvella was brought down in Melbourne territory. Jeremy Christie, 30m out, let rip and watched in delight as the ball took a deflection to leave former Football Kingz goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos stranded as the ball nestled in the net.

With a new-found belief, the Knights gave as good as they got and were rewarded in the 40th minute when Sean Devine broke into the penalty area, was checked by Muscat and just as quickly converted from the spot to give the Knights a 2-1 lead and send the small but ever-rowdy crowd into raptures.

The visitors weren't done with though and, two minutes from the break, grabbed a goal out of nothing when a ball found its way through the Knights defence and Richard Kitzbichler was lurking and provided the final touch to grab the equaliser.

The Knights gave better than they got for the first half hour of the second spell. Unfortunately they failed to convert any scoring chances and were then punished when, with the defence pushing forward, Kitzbichler was picked out, provided the perfect first touch and then finish for 3-2.

Led by Brockie's example, the home side never gave up and were right in it throughout the last tense minutes and certainly deserved at least a point.


A-League
NZ Knights: 2
Melbourne Victory: 3
Halftime: 2-2

- HERALD ON SUNDAY