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Queensland on guard for Melbourne match [Sat Sep 17th, 2005]
The Queensland Roar are on guard for a desperate Melbourne Victory to push the envelope with roughhouse tactics in Sunday's A-League grudge match in Brisbane.
The Roar haven't forgotten the questionable physical game last-placed Melbourne employed in a heated trial match on the Gold Coast in July.
An ugly early tackle by Belgian defender Geoffrey Claeys sidelined pivotal midfielder Matt McKay for six weeks, leaving the Queenslanders ropeable after the goalless draw.
Coach Miron Bleiberg wouldn't go so far to venture that Melbourne crossed the line, but expected his players to face more of the same in a round four tinderbox at Suncorp Stadium.
"I would like to think it will be less rough but I don't think so," Bleiberg said.
"I think Melbourne, especially in their situation, will not hold back. There's no doubt in my mind that if things don't go their way the roughness will come into the equation."
Bleiberg said an uneven and skinny Broadbeach pitch and inexperienced refereeing had inflamed incidents in the ugly trial match.
"We had two super fit teams on a (lower division dimension) ground with an iffy referee, that was a menu for disaster," he said.
Claeys and Socceroos defender Kevin Muscat are two players the Roar will be particularly keen to front up to and let know they won't be dominated.
"(Claeys' tackle) was supposed to put Matty out for eight weeks and it nearly ruined the start of his season," Bleiberg said.
"If he wants to do that sort of thing again we'll definitely be ready and protect our team. We weren't happy with it, they wouldn't have been happy with it vice-versa, it wasn't a nice thing. It was very early in the game and especially in a trial game you don't expect that sort of thing."
But skipper Chad Gibson said Melbourne's overpowering attempts had taught his adventurous, nippy side a valuable lesson.
"We took a lot from that game and changed our ways a little bit, maybe we were a bit too nice," he said. "Melbourne are a lot more than a physical team, they are a very good football outfit."
Gibson nominated Australian international striker Archie Thompson as the main danger for Melbourne, who ironically, are the only A-League outfit without a win.
Coach Ernie Merrick has promoted Daniel Piorkowski, with Daniel Allsopp rushed straight back into the side after missing last week with an ankle injury.
Melbourne will also give exciting midfielder Andy Vlahos every opportunity to play as he battles to regain fitness from a knee injury.
Expecting a home crowd of around 15,000, the Roar will have keeper Tom Willis back after a shock resting in the 2-1 loss to Perth.
Bleiberg still holds hope McKay can recover from an ankle problem to play despite already naming defender Todd Gava for his debut.
The cagey coach kept his cards close to his chest, suggesting super-sub Warren Moon, Spase Dilevski or striker Alex Brosque could take McKay's place in the midfield.
"Matt McKay is a very stubborn, ambitious, fit little guy," he said. "Even the first game of the season he defied the odds and he played against NZ."
AAP
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