ntnews.com.aulllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll SPORT Clippers become Avengers Steyn reaches 300 milestone Vikings sent Packing CHRIS Paul had 27 points and nine assists as the Los DALE Steyn said joining the 300 Test wickets club did AARON Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers took Angeles Clippers avenged a recent loss to Golden State not mean the end of his ambitions as a fast bowler. advantage of the depleted Minnesota Vikings on with a 115-89 NBA pounding of the Warriors on Speaking after South Africa’s crushing win by an Saturday, cruising to a 24-10 victory in the first Saturday night. Blake Griffin added 20 points as the innings and 27 runs over New Zealand, at Newlands, round of the NFL playoffs. Rodgers connected with Clippers registered their 10th straight win at home after Steyn, 29, said he was aware of the significance of 10 different pass receivers, as he threw for 274 yards losing to the Warriors by 21 points on Wednesday. The the landmark but hoped there was more to come. and one touchdown. John Kuhn rushed for one Clippers maintained a firm grip on first place in the ‘‘I’ve got a lot more to offer,’’ he said. ‘‘There’s another touchdown and caught a scoring pass for Green Bay, Pacific Division as they moved to a 27-8 win-loss record, Test in Port Elizabeth next week and hopefully I’ve which advances to a National Conference meeting the Warriors dropping to 22-11. got a few more years in these legs.’’ with the San Francisco 49ers next weekend. Heart survives scare A-LEAGUE By DAVID DAVUTOVIC SCORES MELBOURNE HEART 3 (David WITH Melbourne Heart you Williams 13m, Josip Tadic 35m, Fred 53m) d BRISBANE ROAR 2 (Besart never get the sense that the Berisha 74m pen, 76m) at AAMI Park. game is over. Crowd: 6303. Referee: Alan Milliner. Having raced out to a CENTRAL COAST MARINERS 2 three-goal lead within 53 (Daniel McBreen 41m, 90+6m) d WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS 0 minutes, Besart Berisha at Parramatta Stadium. Crowd: scored twice for Brisbane 16,387. Referee: Chris Beath. Roar which almost scored a stoppage time equaliser. Ladder 1. Central Coast Mariners . 33 Unlike the two times they 2. Adelaide United . 29 have won multi-goal leads 3. Melbourne Victory . 26 this season, Heart hung on to 4. Western Sydney Wanderers 23 claim a crucial three points. 5. Perth Glory . 19 6. Melbourne Heart . 18 Its second successive win, 7. Brisbane Roar . 17 against fellow top six con- 8. Newcastle Jets . 17 tenders — Newcastle last 9. Wellington Phoenix . 16 week and now Roar — lifts 10. Sydney FC . 14 Heart into the six. The momentum shifted the restart, again aided by when referee Alan Milliner woeful Roar defending. sent off David Williams on 67 Aziz Behich broke down minutes for a tackle on Ivan the left and his cross found Franjic, and replays sug- and unmarked Fred at the gested it may have been a back post who scored despite harsh decision. Theo’s best efforts. But Heart could barely Two things changed the complain having been gifted game and they happened a second when the linesman within five minutes — one left his flag down when Josip being the withdrawal of de- Tadic was off side. fensive midfielder Germano The Croatian striker made on 62 minutes followed by no mistake, slotting the ball Williams’ red card. under Michael Theo to put With a man extra, Bris- Heart two ahead after just 35 bane pushed forward and it minutes of play. was last season’s golden boot Heart has made a habit of winner Berisha leading the fast starts. revival — switching from left Williams had opened the wing to his preferred stri- scoring just 13 minutes via a ker’s position in the game’s lovely build up. second half. Fred spun out of trouble in A clumsy Fred challenge the middle of the park, re- upended Ben Halloran in the leased Jonatan Germano penalty area and Berisha wide on the right, who found quickly stepped up to convert Richard Garcia, and his past former teammate And- killer ball allowed Williams rew Redmayne in the 74th to run on to it and slide it minute. under Theo. Two minutes later, Beri- The goal came against the sha got on the end of a run of play and Brisbane’s Thomas Broich pass and din- poor defensive positioning ked it over Redmayne to en- was badly exposed. sure a tense finish. Roar had several chances The introduction of light- to score, twice via Eric ning quick Golgol Mebrahtu Paartalu, but they went into helped shift the momentum the break with nothing to back in Heart’s favour, but it show for having the lion’s didn’t stop Brisbane pressing share of possession. forward and Mitch Nichols’ Having twice lost 2-0 leads header three minutes into this season — once losing to stoppage time sailed centi- Wellington and drawing to metres over the bar. Newcastle — John Aloisi’s The crowd roared at the half time message would final whistle and while it was have been to stay focused. a nerve-racking ending, they He would have been de- know the importance of lighted when Fred scored a securing its first back-to- David Williams gets taken out by Brisbane Roar goalkeeper Michael Theo after kicking a goal past him Picture: STEPHEN HARMAN third just eight minutes after back wins in almost a year. Mariners magic proves too much for Wanderers in tough fight By TOM SMITHIES was soured further by a red towards the box, where yellow card for a crude foul bled through and was denied shot was saved at full length card to Jason Trifiro, but the Daniel McBreen and Adam on Nick Montgomery and by Ante Covic sprinting from by Covic, then Michael PUB: IN the end, the sorcerer just Mariners were lucky not to Kwasnik exchanged passes was dismissed. his line. McGlinchey headed Pedj Bo- NTNE-WS-7-JA33KGE:MDA-TE: Y-C-CO-LO-R: shaded the apprentice. lose Trent Sainsbury to a red perfectly to put McBreen The pace was unrelenting. With 12 minutes to go a jic’s arrowed cross wide from Graham Arnold’s Mari- card inside half an hour. away for a left foot shot into Mark Bridge found space for brilliant break from the close in as the Mariners ners have seized a four-point The Mariners demon- the bottom corner. a snap shot straight at Mat Mariners allowed Joshua turned the screw. lead atop the A-League table strated why they are leaders It was a devilish time to Ryan, then McBreen’s volley Rose to cross deep to the far In the final seconds they thanks to a 2-0 win over his of the pack with a ruthless score, just before the break was deflected over by Iacopo post where Ibini somehow made it count, as McBreen close friend Tony Popovic’s piece of opportunism four and within 10 minutes of the La Rocca. Substitute Labinot sidefooted over the bar, be- picked up Reece Caira’s Wanderers at Parramatta minutes from the break. restart the Wanderers’ chal- Haliti headed over twice fore Haliti completed a hat- errant pass and slotted the Stadium. It was begun by Oliver lenge was all the greater when well placed, then Mari- trick of misses from eight second home from a diffi- Western Sydney’s night Bozanic’s incisive pass when Trifiro got his second ners sub Bernie Ibini drib- metres out. Mile Sterjovski’s cult angle. www.ntnews.com.au Monday, January 7, 2013. NT NEWS. 33.