Heart off the mark with Fury win

Melbourne Heart bounced back from their gut-wrenching late draw last week to finally
post their first A-League win - a 1-0 triumph over North Queensland Fury at AAMI
Park on Saturday.
Midfielder Nick Kalmar's 11th-minute goal gave the competition newcomers an
unconvincing maiden win after the Fury dominated an entertaining match for long
periods.
But luck - and some poor Fury finishing in front goal - rode with the Heart.
North Queensland could have been ahead as early as five minutes into the match when
Ugandan striker Eugene Sseppuya was put one-on-one with Heart goalkeeper Clint
Bolton, but he somehow shot metres wide.
Despite the Fury's brighter start, the Heart struck first when Kalmar ghosted in at
the far post to head home a Rutger Worm cross.
They nearly went two goals up 60 seconds later when striker Alex Terra's nimble work
on the right set up Matt Thompson for a powerful volley.
But North Queensland keeper Justin Pasfield made a good save.
For the rest of the half, the Heart faced a Fury side in full attacking flight.
Bolton's intervention just touched the ball far enough from Fury skipper Gareth Edds
as he appeared just a metre out with the goal begging.
Then in the 28th minute, Isaka Cernak squandered the Fury's second golden
opportunity to equalise.
Bolton produced a great save just before the hour to deny a thundering Edds volley,
before the Heart lifted and put together some decent attacking moves of their own.
Memories of the controversial injury-time penalty awarded to Perth's Michael Baird
which snatched away victory last weekend ensured some late nervous moments for the
Heart and the 4000-plus crowd who braved a miserable Melbourne day.
But the Heart hung on to clamber away from the bottom of the table - just behind the
Fury but above crosstown rivals Melbourne Victory on goal difference.
The Victory lost 2-0 to Central Coast Mariners on Friday night.