Photo:  Melbourne Victory's Harry Kewell has Gold Coast United's Dylan McGowan and Peter Jungschlager running in circles [PlessPix]

(A-League, Aurora Stadium. Launceston, Wednesday, 1 February 2012)

Melbourne Victory 1 (Kewell 66)

Gold Coast United 1 (Thwaite 90+3)

HT: 0-0   Att: 5,268   Ref: M Gillett

Melbourne Victory: Covic  -  Kemp (Franjic 73), Leijer, Milligan, Fabio  -  Broxham, Brebner, Rojas, Kewell  -  Thompson, Solorzano (Allsopp 83)  (Subs not used: Hernandez, Velaphi)

Booked: Leijer 73, Fabio 74)

Gold Coast United: O’Connor  -  Thwaite, Rees (Bowles 76), Rozic, Traore  -  Halloran, Brown (Mebrahtu 26), Jungschlager, McGowan (Harold 69), Salley  -  Rigters  (Sub not used:  White)

Booked: Thwaite 60, Rees 64, Traore 78

Photo:  The most famous tattoos in the A-League [PlessPix]

Melbourne Victory remain in 8th place and Gold Coast United in last spot after they drew 1-1 on Wednesday night at Aurora Stadium in Launceston in the first competitive A-League fixture played in Tasmania.

A goal by Harry Kewell midway through the second half gave Victory the lead, but Gold Coast United captain Michael Thwaite equalised in the 3rd minute of stoppage time to give the Queenslanders a valuable point.

The attendance of 5,268 was disappointing and less than officials had hoped for.  The reasons given ranged from the fact that Tasmanians are considered parochial and southerners and those from the North-West Coast are reluctant, or unable to because of work commitments, to travel to Launceston for a match, especially in mid-week, to the fact that a live cricket match featuring some top Tasmanian players was being broadcast live on free-to-air television.

The positive spin is that the crowd was almost double what Gold Coast United could expect at their own home, a fact readily acknowledged by Gold Coast coach, Miron Bleiberg.  And, it was, after all, a bottom-of-the-table clash, even though Harry Kewell was on view.

Photo:  Harry Kewell has Ben Halloran in hot pursuit [PlessPix]

The first half proved goalless, but Victory had goalkeeper Ante Covic to thank for that, while the Gold Coast were left to cures poor finishing.

Covic was called upon to produce his best reflexes and to use his amazing agility to deny efforts by Maceo Rigters and Peter Jungschlager as Gold Coast came to within a whisker of scoring.

Victory’s Archie Thompson had a shot from range that was feeble and wide of the target, while Kewell was denied by the woodwork and some nifty glove work by keeper Chris O’Connor after the Socceroo’s header, following a throw-in, threatened to break the deadlock.

The half ended with Adama Traore shooting narrowly wide after a great build-up by Gold Coast, and O’Connor saving Gold Coast’s bacon with a brilliant save from Jean Carlos Solorzano, who was set up by Kewell.

Two minuted after the resumption, Kewell went close after Thwaite had conceded a free-kick for a foul on Thompson.  Marco Rojas tapped the free-kick short to Kewell, whose shot just cleared the bar.

In the 49th minute, Covic was at his brilliant best as he denied substitute Golgol Mebrahtu twice in a split second, but the Gold Coast player should really have given the keeper no chance from such close range.

In the 52nd minute, the excellent Rojas put Thompson clear on the right, but his chip landed harmlessly on the roof of the net.

Photo:  Melbourne Victory's Archie Thompson (right) turns Gold Coast's Ante Rozic inside out [PlessPix]

Two minutes later, Victory again got behind the Gold Coast defence on the right as Rojas fed Solorzano, but his crisp cross flew across the face of goal without anyone being able to get a touch.

In the 64th minute, Solorzano was put through the middle by a marvellous ball from midfield and he fought his way past Kristian Rees, only to shoot wide.  But, referee Matt Gillett awarded a free-kick just outside the box after adjudging that Rees had fouled Solorzano.

It took over a minute for order to be restored and, when Rojas tapped the free-kick short to Kewell, the former Leeds United and Liverpool man smashed home a low left-footer around the wall and just inside O’Connor’s right-hand post to give Victory the lead.

Seven minutes from the end, Solorzano, who had been preferred in the starting line-up to Carlos Hernandez, found a way past a physical challenge from Ante Rozic, but he fired over the bar when he really should have tested the keeper.

Photo:  Harry Kewell and friend make their way out onto the Aurora Stadium pitch [PlessPix]

Covic again showed his class in the 87th minute when he dived backwards and to his right and turned wide a fierce free-kick from Mebrahtu which was flying like an arrow into the far top corner of the net.

Victory were desperate to score a second goal to make the game safe and, in the first minute of stoppage time, Rojas again released Thompson, who did the hard work in beating his marker, Daniel Bowles, but with the goal at his mercy, he incredibly shot wide.

Two minutes into stoppage time, Victory substitute Daniel Allsopp broke through but shot tamely, enabling O’Connor to make an easy save.

With seconds of the 4-minute period of stoppage time remaining, Gold Coast captain Thwaite embarked on a long forward run that his coach Miron Bleiberg later compared to those made famous by Franz Beckenbauer and beat Covic with a low drive to make it 1-1 and stun the Victory players and the crowd.

Photo:  The game was stopped for several minutes as Melbourne Victory fans unleashed a flurry of flares and rockets [PlessPix]

Photo:  The Brigade at work at Aurora...hot stuff and finger lickin' good [PlessPix]

Photo:  Fox Sport's man of the match, Ante Covic, was beaten with seconds of the match remaining [PlessPix]