For the second successive week, Brisbane Roar has come from behind to secure a late victory – today beating Central Coast Mariners 2-1 at Suncorp Stadium with a 89th minute winner.
For the second successive week, Brisbane Roar has come from behind to secure a late victory – today beating Central Coast Mariners 2-1 at Suncorp Stadium with a 89th minute winner.
The result takes Brisbane seven points clear at the top of the Hyundai A-League ladder with a game in hand over second-placed Western Sydney Wanderers, who the Roar face on Friday night.
After the Mariners- Mile Sterjovski won and converted a first half penalty, the home side came out after the break with intent and soon found the back of the net through substitute Henrique before Besart Berisha-s late goal gave Brisbane all three points.
It was the Albanian who had the first real opportunity of the match for his side, latching onto a pass from Liam Miller and cutting inside Central Coast defender Zac Anderson who managed to block Berisha-s shot into the side netting.
Brisbane held on to the majority of possession but the Mariners took their chances on the break, most notably Nick Montgomery playing the ball across the park to Josh Rose but the fullback was denied a goal by a strong block from Michael Theo.
Not long after, the away side broke the deadlock after Sterjovski was fouled by Theo inside the area and referee Strebre Delovski awarded a penalty.
The Mariners man took responsibility from the spot and sent the Brisbane goalkeeper the wrong way to give his side the lead, against the run of play.
After the break, the Roar were fierce from the outset and almost had an equaliser within 60 seconds as man-of-the-match Thomas Broich whipped the ball towards Dimi Petratos, who headed the ball down but off target.
Two minutes later, Petratos put the ball in the back of the net after some tidy build-up play but the assistant referee-s flag was up for offside.
Henrique replaced Diogo Ferreira just after the hour mark and the lively Brazilian waited just three minutes to make his mark on the game, finishing into the far post after successive passes from Broich, Berisha and Petratos.
In typical Roar fashion, Mike Mulvey-s men kept pushing for the winner and the Brisbane boss introduced Jean Carlos Solorzano into the fray late in the match – the Costa Rican back at Suncorp Stadium for the first time since the 2011 Grand Final.
But it was the other striker on the park who sent the 16,078-strong crowd into raptures with just one minute left to play, Berisha beating Liam Reddy in the Mariners goal as Brisbane recorded their 12th win of the campaign.
Brisbane Roar 2 (HENRIQUE 66-, Besart BERISHA 89-)
Central Coast Mariners 1 (Mile STERJOVSKI 36(p)-
Sunday, 2 February 2014
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-off: 4pm local time
Referee: Strebre Delovski
Crowd: 16,078
Brisbane Roar: 1. Michael THEO (gk), 2. Matthew SMITH (c), 3. Shane STEFANUTTO, 7. Besart BERISHA, 11. Liam MILLER (26. Corey BROWN 90+2-), 13. Jade NORTH, 14. Diogo FERREIRA (10. HENRIQUE 63-), 15. James DONACHIE, 18. Luke BRATTAN (16. Jean Carlos SOLORZANO 86-), 22. Thomas BROICH, 23. Dimitri PETRATOS
Substitutes not used: 20. Matthew ACTON (gk), 27. Brandon BORRELLO
Yellow cards: 1. Michael THEO 35-, Liam MILLER 70-
Red cards: Nil
Central Coast Mariners: 3. Joshua ROSE, 4. Marcel SEIP, 5. Zachary ANDERSON, 7. John HUTCHINSON (c), 8. Nick MONTGOMERY (9. Mitchell DUKE 71-), 11. Nick FITZGERALD, 12. Liam REDDY (gk), 15. Storm ROUX, 17. Anthony CACERES, 19. Matthew SIMON, 21. Mile STERJOVSKI (20. Bernie IBINI 58-)
Substitutes not used: 1. Justin PASFIELD, 6. Brent GRIFFITHS, 22. Tom SLATER
Yellow cards: 8. Nick MONTGOMERY 38-, Nick FITZGERALD 86-
Red cards: Nil
