A Mitch Nichols brace has helped the Brisbane Roar claim a 3-2 victory over Brisbane City in the first game of Brisbane’s pre-season Roar Roadshow program.
Nichols goals – one with his feet and one from his head – and a late Henrique goal was enough to see off a plucky City side.
The three thirty-minute stanza game started at a slow pace with the first shot on target coming in the tenth minute, City-s Grant Last zeroing in on goal with a bullet header.
However, new Roar goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne was up to the task, pushing the ball round the post before Toru Seki blasted the ball high over the bar from the resulting corner.
The Roar started to control possession in the midfield area and nearly went ahead when presented with two good chances in the space of 60 seconds.
First to go close was Reinaldo, just a step behind a teasing Nichols centre, before trialist Adrian Zahra found himself clear on goal and subsequently, a fine stop from City custodian Tom Willis.
But the deadlock was broken soon after and it was the home side who took the lead, Last proving too difficult to handle in the box and coolly slotted home from three metres out.
City didn-t enjoy their lead for long as the Roar struck back three minutes later, Nichols racing onto a delightful through ball before striking home the equaliser with the help of the upright.
And Nichols could have handed the lead to the Roar in the dying second of the first third had Willis not stood up tall and made the crucial block.
The Roar made several changes in the break, Henrique, Massimo Murdocca, Matt Byrne and trialist Kim Min Kyum joining the fray for the second third.
City was dominating the early exchanged of the second stanza and almost took the lead when Corey Slevin beat everything but the crossbar with a looping header.
Henrique then became the third Roar player to be foiled by former Roar ‘keeper Willis, the diminutive Brazilian finding himself clear in the box but no way past the City custodian.
Matt McKay found an opportunity to shoot in the 40th minute, but despite controlling Matt Byrne-s cross, the Roar captain dragged his shot just wide of the goal.
Reinaldo was the next to threaten – the Roar-s target-man broke free of the defence, bore down on goal, but just slipped the ball past the post.
But the Roar finally broke through for the lead in the 55th minute with Nichols grabbing his second for the night.
Luke Brattan managed to centre a cross from out deep on the right and Nichols proved he was just as deadly with his head as he was with his feet.
Adam Sarota and Isaka Cernak joined their team-mates for the final third, but it was Henrique who almost stole the limelight.
The winger once again sliced through the City defence with ease, but Willis, not for the first time, blocked the stinging shot.
And the City attackers backed up their ‘keeper-s good work with Wayne Knipe drawing the host-s level with a fine shot in the 66th minute.
But the Roar regained the ascendancy six minutes later as Henrique finally got the better of Willis in their personal duel.
Henrique found himself one-on-one with the City ‘keeper for the third time, but unlike his two previous attempts, finished with ease.
Both sides had chances in the last ten minutes – Korean Kyum trying his luck form range and City-s Adam Bemet shooting down Redmayne-s throat – but the Roar ran out eventual 3-2 winners.
Check out pictures of the night in the Brisbane Roar versus Brisbane City gallery
The Roar Roadshow tour moves onto Goodwin Park next where the Roar will face Brisbane Olympic on Tuesday June 1.
Gates open at 4pm, with player signings beginning at 5.10pm and kick-off scheduled at 7.15pm.
Brisbane City 2 (Grant Last 21-, Wayne Knipe 66-)
Brisbane Roar 3 (Mitch Nichols 24-, 55-, Henrique 72-)
Brisbane City squad: 1. Tom Willis (gk), 2. Tom Schipke, 3. Alex Davani, 4. Corey Slevin, 5. Sam Gilbert, 6. Josh Lynch, 7. Wayne Knipe, 8. Evan Papadopoulos, 9. Grant Last, 10. Adam Bemet, 11. Ben Cavanough, 13. Josh Nelson, 14. Michael Kramer, 15. Tom Lawson, 16. Matt Neesham, 17. Daniel Cabrera, 18. Toru Seki, 20. Jefte Juarez
Brisbane Roar squad: 1. Andrew Redmayne (gk), 2. Kim Min Kyum, 3. Luke DeVere, 6. Nathan Sherlock, 8. Massimo Murdocca, 9. Daniel Bowles, 10. Daniel Viscenic, 11. Reinaldo, 12. Matt Mundy, 13. Henrique, 14. Adam Sarota, 15. Matt McKay, 17. Mitch Nichols, 18. Adrian Zahra, 19. Isaka Cernak, 23. Matt Byrne, 25. Luke Brattan, 30. Matt Acton (gk), 32. Josh McVeigh
