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Thwaite’s late strike saves a point for Gold Coast

It might have taken 74 Gold Coast appearances and 90 in the Hyundai A-League to break his duck, but the goal capped another inspired performance from United’s talisman, who led by example from start to dramatic finish.

With his side one-nil down and the game in the third minute of added time, Maceo Rigters did superbly well to hold off Mark Milligan and allow Thwaite to pick up the ball and stride towards the box before side-footing past Covic.

While the skipper’s late, late strike rescued a point for Miron Bleiberg’s men, they will still feel as though they could have won the game after producing a performance full of enterprise, energy and no shortage of good football.

Although they lived dangerously at times, Gold Coast had enough chances to be well in front before they fell behind to Harry Kewell’s trusty left foot in the 66^th minute. After Kristian Rees was penalised for holding back Jean Carlos Solorzano, Kewell stepped up to drill the resulting free-kick through the wall and past the unsighted Chris O’Connor.

Before Kewell struck, Gold Coast substitute Golgol Mebrahtu had a great double chance to break the deadlock. A glancing header from Jungschlager’s cross forced Covic into a flying one-handed save, then the Victory custodian did brilliantly to recover and block Mebrahtu’s second effort from point-blank range.

Mebrahtu was agonisingly close once again in the final minutes, this time whipping in a vicious swerving free-kick that Melbourne keeper Ante Covic did brilliantly to push away as the ball zoomed towards the top corner.

In the first half it was Gold Coast who burst into life first with half chances to Kristian Rees and James Brown just after the quarter hour. Within minutes they created an even better opportunity when Rigters wriggled free of Fabio and Milligan before squaring the ball to Traore six metres out. The Ivorian couldn’t get clean contact on the ball though and when the rebound fell to Rigters again he fired straight at Covic.

Gold Coast were dealt a blow midway through the first period however when attacking weapon Brown succumbed to an ankle injury and was forced off with Mebrahtu taking his place.

On 32 minutes the lively Kewell came close to the registering the opening goal with a close-range header that had United’s debutant goalkeeper Chris O’Connor in a flap. Deceived by Kewell’s nod towards goal, O’Connor just managed to palm the ball away before it crossed the line with Melbourne claiming it already had.

O’Connor redeemed himself on the stroke of half time though when he did well to save Solorzano’s firm strike after the Victory forward had been picked out brilliantly by Kewell’s stunning diagonal ball.

Kewell was at it again just after the restart, this time crashing a venomous 20-metre free-kick inches over the United bar, but the entertaining encounter saved its most dramatic moment for the final minute as Thwaite experienced that goalscoring feeling that has been an entire career in the making.

It was a goal that had looked on the cards as Gold Coast pressed and pressed in the closing stages with the pace of Halloran and Harold, along with the tireless work of Rigters and Jungschlager, looking as though it would bear fruit eventually, albeit from the most unlikely of sources.

Gold Coast United:

40.Chris O’Connor [gk], 3.Michael Thwaite (c), 5.Kristian Rees (28.Daniel Bowles 76’), 13.Ante Rozic, 14.Ben Halloran, 15.Adama Traore, 16.Maceo Rigters, 18.James Brown (7.Golgol Mebrahtu 26’), 22.Peter Jungschlager, 23.Dylan McGowan (17.Chris Harold 69’), 24.Jonas Salley.

Unused subs: 30.Brendan White [gk].

Yellow cards: Thwaite 60’, Rees 64’, Traore 78’.

Red cards: None.

Melbourne Victory:

21.Ante Covic [gk], 3.Fabio, 5.Mark Milligan, 6.Leigh Broxham, 7.Matthew Kemp (4.Petar Franjic 74’), 8.Grant Brebner, 9.Jean Carlos Solorzano (18.Danny Allsopp 83’), 10.Archie Thompson, 11.Marco Rojas, 22.Harry Kewell, 23.Adrian Leijer (c).
Unused subs: 1.Tando Velaphi [gk], 16.Carlos Hernandez.

Yellow cards: Leijer 73’, Fabio 74’.

Red cards: None.

Hyundai A-League Week 17 (midweek)

At Aurora Stadium, Launceston, Tasmania

MELBOURNE VICTORY 1 (Kewell 66’)

GOLD COAST UNITED 1 (Thwaite 90+3’)

HT: 0-0

Referee: Matt Gillett