Hume City edged Heidelberg United 4:5 in a seven-goal thriller at the NPL Victoria on Saturday evening. The match, played in front of a lively crowd, saw the visitors come from behind to secure a rare away win. It was a result that could prove pivotal for both sides in the second half of the season.
J. McGowan opened the scoring for the hosts in the sixth minute, and Heidelberg looked comfortable until G. Debele equalised for Hume City just before the break. The away side then took control, with M. Bisetto, K. Razmovski, and B. Kirdar finding the net in quick succession to build a three-goal cushion. Things came to a head in the second half as Hume City's attack proved too much for the home defence to handle.
Heidelberg refused to lie down. K. Kaddour pulled one back in the 69th minute, and C. Bramwell converted a penalty in the 74th to bring the hosts within a goal. T. Schrijvers restored Hume City's two-goal lead just three minutes later, but A. Bayew's strike in the 85th minute set up a nervy finale. The visitors held every card to see out the remaining minutes.
Heidelberg sit sixth with 40 points from 26 games, while Hume City move up to third place with 49 points. The hosts have now lost three of their last five matches after a run of draws, while the visitors have picked up only one point from their last four fixtures. This result closes the gap between the two sides to nine points.