Melbourne Heart's chances of securing a spot in the A-League finals has taken a hit after they were held to a 1-1 draw with Gold Coast at AAMI Park on Wednesday night.
The home side enjoyed the better moments on the back of superior field position and possession, but had to settle for a point against a disciplined United line-up.
The visitors may well have left with all three points if not for the brilliant reflexes of Heart goalkeeper Clint Bolton, who blunted three Gold Coast efforts in stoppage time alone.
Having been quiet for most of the night, star United striker Shane Smeltz had two chances denied by Bolton, who stood tall to stop a shot from substitute Andrew Barisic in the dying minutes.
But it would have been highway robbery if United had won as Heart were certainly excellent value for their point, having gone 1-0 up in the 17th minute through Brazilian Alex Terra's second goal in as many matches.
Mercurial Dutchman Gerald Sibon, who like Terra was elevated into the starting line-up by coach John van 't Schip, produced an incisive header to catch the Gold Coast defence square.
Terra was denied by United custodian Glen Moss at his first attempt, but kept his composure to tuck the ball away into an empty net in his second.
Heart's goal was cancelled out five minutes before half-time by in-form striker Bruce Djite which came totally against the run of play.
Djite pounced on a measured pass from Bas van den Brink then jinked into the box before driving the ball past Heart goalkeeper Clint Bolton into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
But both players finished the game on the bench, with Terra icing a hamstring after coming off in the 78th minute, while Djite appeared to jar his knee just five minutes before time.
Former Socceroo striker John Aloisi came off the bench to be involved in Heart's best chance of the second-half, which brought out a good save from Moss.
The New Zealander was one of Gold Coast's outstanding performers along with van den Brink and Djite.
Heart was best served by Sibon, Terra, Bolton and skipper Simon Colosimo, who played the full 90 minutes in his first game back from a calf injury.
While the point moves Heart into sixth spot with 32 points from 26 matches, it appears only a temporary grip on the place as Newcastle (31 points) have two games in hand.
Gold Coast remains entrenched in fourth on 39 points.
Melbourne Heart 1 (Alex Terra 17)
Gold Coast 1 (Bruce Djite 40).
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