A-League: Brisbane Roar 1 Melbourne Heart 2

After a record 36-game unbeaten run, Brisbane have now suffered back-to-back defeats and their first home loss since January 2010.

Friday’s 2-1 defeat by an impressive Melbourne Heart at Suncorp Stadium moves the Victorian side into third place on the table with 15 points, only five short of leaders Brisbane.

The defending A-League champions were a disjointed mess, while the Heart gave a controlled performance from the outset, executing a measured game-plan to perfection.

Melbourne’s early possession yielded the lead in the 12th minute when Jonatan Germano lost his defender at the corner and directed his header past goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos with precision.

The second came in the 27th, when the hosts were dispossessed on the halfway point and Germano flew down the sideline, curling in the perfect cross for Mate Dugandzic, who centred for Eli Bablj to finish a brilliantly worked goal.

After Mitch Nichols reduced the deficit to one in the 78th, hot foot Besart Berisha had the chance to deliver a draw with three prime-position free kicks, but Clint Bolton and his defenders cleared the first two and Erik Paartalu headed over after breaking through with the third.

The Heart’s first foray came in the second minute, with Rutger Worm attacking down the left, and their confident start grew into a dominant opening half, in which they registered five shots on target to Brisbane’s one.

In the 20th minute Nichols lost his defender and found space to drive at goal, but typical of the performance on the night, the opportunity ended with a wayward pass.

Nichols and Issey Nakajima-Farran both had long-range strikes covered by Bolton midway through the first half, but the upturn was short-lived for the hosts.

The Heart ended the first with a flurry of quality chances to add a third, but the shots went wide or the Roar defence scrambled and the score stayed locked at 2-0.

After the break it was more of the same from Brisbane, with a bit of extra frustration, while the Heart stayed composed with the lead.

Young debutant Nicholas Fitzgerald looked to be in on goal in the 74th minute, but referee Kris Griffiths Jones saw enough jostle to pull back the play.

Just as Brisbane looked to be resigned to defeat, substitute Kofi Danning dribbled to the line and then squared back for a trailing Nichols to tap home.

The Roar surged forward, finally finding some of their cohesion, but were unable to convert their opportunities.