Besart Berisha was again at the centre of drama for the Brisbane Roar, salvaging a point for them in a 1-1 A-League draw with Melbourne Heart.
Controversial Brisbane Roar striker Besart Berisha again donned his cape, but this time kept his shirt on and hands to himself as he saved his side for the second successive A-League match.
Berisha, the centre of a wild melee last weekend, netted a second half equaliser for the Roar in their 1-1 draw with Melbourne Heart at AAMI Park on Saturday night.
Only playing under a technicality as the Roar consider appealing his one-match ban for challenging a Sydney FC rival to duel in the players’ tunnel last weekend, Berisha bounced back from a difficult seven days to again save his team.
The Albanian had also scored the match-winner against Sydney FC.
And his 69th minute close-range header from a neatly worked move gave the Roar a deserved point, cancelling out Heart’s first-half goal to Jonatan Germano.
Berisha was at the centre of much of the action in a high-quality, end-to-end match in which both teams had stand-out players and excellent periods of dominance.
The Heart scored first with a wonderfully-worked 31st minute goal.
Outstanding fullback Aziz Behich nutmegged Berisha and crossed for striker Alex Terra to scissor-kick towards goal.
Roar defender Said Mohamed Adnan blocked the ball, only for Germano to head home the rebound and give the home side the lead.
But the Roar dominated the majority of the half, and looked likely to equalise just eight minutes later when Germano turned villain and handballed from the brilliant Thomas Broich, who tormented the Heart throughout.
Berisha stepped up, and blasted a woeful penalty over the bar.
Heart goalkeeper Clint Bolton made two important saves prior to halftime from Broich and Adnan to keep his side in front.
Broich was again at the centre of the early second half action for Brisbane, and started the move which led to Berisha’s deserved equaliser on 69 minutes.
The ball traversed Broich, James Meyer, Ivan Franjic and was then touched on by Mitch Nichols before Berisha got the last touch via his head to square things up.
The Heart then livened up late in the half and had several chances, but couldn’t find a way past Bahraini international Adnan, who was wall-like in defence.
The second-placed Roar are now 11 points behind competition leaders Central Coast after the Mariners’ 3-2 win over Adelaide on Saturday.
Roar coach Ange Postecoglou believes his side is still lacking cutting edge in the front third of the field and lamented yet again having to play catch-up from a goal down.
“Both teams had good attacking intent, both had chances. We thought we probably did enough to win the game, they probably feel the same,” he said.
“The worst thing is we’re continually chasing games – that’s probably our biggest downfall.
“Conceding that first goal which we’re doing pretty regularly to be honest, is probably hurting us.”
Heart coach John van ‘t Schip was pleased with his fourth-placed team’s efforts in the space to match motors with Central Coast and Brisbane in the space of four days, but says there is still work to be done to reach their level.
“If we really are a top team then you have to be more stable. There’s a lot of football in the team, there’s a lot of character, and there’s a lot of future,” he said.
