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“Not in my house” – possibly what Paddy Kisnorbo said to Beshart Berisha as he made the injury time tackle.

An Orlando Engelaar tap in was the difference between top and bottom as the Melbourne Heart juggernaut kept alive their A-League finals chances.  The game failed to produce for the neutral but for Heart fans it was bliss.  The win sees John Van’t Schip’s men take 16 points from a possible 18 and sets us a magnificent seven rounds to complete season 2013/14.

The game started with an even first half, with Orlando Engelaar and Thomas Broich proving both clubs are making the most of their international marquee position (unlike another unnamed Melbourne club), but offered little else.  An early Iain Ramsay chance was the only time either keeper was called upon.

After perusing twitter over the half time break telling me how boring the game was one tweet stood out to me from Australian chief football writer (his profile says soccer, but I’m ignoring that fact) “I can see Heart stealing this” I read the tweet and thought to myself, maybe we can beat the league leaders, but then my mind wandered back to how I had become simply mesmerised by Brisbane during a brief three minute period in the first half and thinking how lucky we were as a league to have a club playing this type of football.  For the record it wasn’t a Craig Foster type of mesmerised when he watchers Barcelona.

Just on the hour mark the unthinkable happened, Orlando Englelaar (ENGOALAAR) snuck into the 6 yard box unmarked and was at the right place at the right time and found the back of the net.  For those wondering what this looked like, just picture Michael Clarke Duncan from ‘The Green Mile’ sneaking out of the prison.  A man of his stature shouldn’t be unmarked under any circumstances.  The game entered a very dangerous period for Heart fans, holding the lead for 30 minutes against Broich, Berisha and Co.

Heart remained the more positive of the two teams but weren’t able to land the killer blow, even after being awarded an indirect free kick about six yards out, after a rugby scrum type goal mouth scramble.  This chance was predictably scorn after Engelaar found it hard to penetrate eleven Brisbane Roar players on the goal line.  Mate Dugandzic saw three or four great chances go to waste and you could feel most Heart fans slumping in their chairs predicting Heart would concede one, possibly two goals and the season would fall by the wayside.

Everything was going to plan for Brisbane, Heart players seemed incapable of keeping the ball for more than 5 seconds, Heart were giving away lazy fouls in dangerous positions and Brisbane finally displayed some type of interest in the match.  Even during the match Brisbane fans had lost interest in the game turning their attention to a portly gentleman in the corporate box area, comparing him to both a former A-League club owner, and a Nursery Rhyme character.  In fairness it was very good banter from the travelling fans who proved better value than their team for most of the day.

Injury time commenced and Heart fans knew those missed opportunities would come back to haunt.  Enter (the Victory bound) Besart Berisha, to perfect villain to decimate Heart’s finals chances.  One on one with Heart keeper, Andrew Redmayne; sadly my money was on the Albanian.  Enter Patrick Kisnorbo and his game saving last ditch tackle to save the day.  Normally highlights shows are reserved for goals crashing into the back of the net but this was bound to be the Sunday Shootout’s top play of the week.  Over the past four weeks Kisnorbo has been a revelation evidently enjoying his time under JVS (not as much as his centre back partner Patrick Gerhardt).  The tackle performed in front of the Yarraside faithful would catapult Kisnorbo into instant legend status for the red and white faithful.

The final whistle sounded and the stadium erupted.  It wasn’t bottom beating top or David v Goliath it was Heart keeping their finals chances alive going into the Melbourne derby this Saturday night.

Engelaar and Murdocca were the stars for Heart today, but Kisnorbo stole the show.  The vibe, the results and the team have turned around for the club as they enter the most important (and possibly last Heart v Victory) derby ever.

I will see you in the stands next week.