Melbourne Heart delivered its fans a long-awaited maiden win for season 2011/12 with a convincing 3-0 rout of Newcastle. Although Heart was forced to wait until the 66th minute to open the scoring, they had dominated play to that point and had looked the more likely team to score all game.

It was their captain, Fred, who opened the account from close range after a one-two with Ali Babalj. Mate Dugandzic sealed the result five minutes late, before Aziz Behich iced the cake on 85 minutes. Interestingly, all three scorers are former Victory players. Jason Hoffman and Alex Terra were also persistently dangerous around the box.

Heart are now unbeaten in four games, yet this is the result that could kick-start what has until now been a frustrating start to the season. Despite scoring eight goals - more than five of the current top six - they had been unable to claim three points from a game.

However, today they enjoyed almost total control from the first whistle on their way to a comfortable win. The Jets have now lost all three of their matches away from home.

The win bumps Heart off the foot of the table into seventh place. They are still well in touch with the top six although they are facing two daunting road trips in the coming fortnight as they head to the Gold Coast and then Central Coast. Two weeks after that, they travel to Brisbane to attempt the impossible. While their match today clearly demonstrated that Heart will not be making up the numbers this season, they will do well to still be in touch in a month.

Meanwhile, a depleted Melbourne Victory played out the third nil-all draw from its first six games, this time on the Central Coast.

Victory were missing five starting players through suspension, injury and international commitments. They were suitably solid at the back and repelled many of Central Coast's advances, but still needed a healthy dose of luck not to concede. The Mariners came desperately close to scoring in the first half, as an assault on Victory's goal-line was denied by a lunging Rodrigo vargas, followed shortly by both the crossbar and the upright in succession.

The ball came perilously close to completely crossing the line but somehow remained in contact with it. The Mariners came close a few more times, but they either sprayed their shots off target or were denied by Lawrence Thomas, who continues to impress between the sticks.

Going forward, however, Victory was speculative and one-dimensional. Playing without wingers, Melbourne repeatedly, and predictably, sought their strikers out with through-balls. Their inability to score is increasingly concerning - they have now scored the fewest of any team in the A-League, including the teams still to play this round.

While they are tight at the back and have only conceded four goals this year, they will struggle to climb the table without scoring any of their own. Admittedly, they have some serious talent to return, however they need to show more intent, more creativity, if they are to utilise their potential.

The pressure to improve their strike rate will be extreme next match, at home against Perth. Notwithstanding Perth's mantle as "last year's wooden spooners," the job will not be easy. The Glory have made a bright start to this season and currently sit in second place, pending tonight's result.

Victory are currently sixth, ahead of Adelaide United on goal difference. They could be nine points adrift of top spot by the end of the round.