Melbourne Victory have defeated Brisbane Roar 5-1 in a clinical display on Wednesday night in the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 match at Perry Park.
A 3,184 strong-crowd turned out to see the two Hyundai A-League giants compete against each other for the first time in Westfield FFA Cup history.
Head Coach John Aloisi included youngsters Dane Ingham, Joe Caletti, Shannon Brady and Nicholas D’Agostino in the Roar starting eleven that began the contest with positive forward momentum.
Victory punished the Roar mistakes but tonight’s match provided valuable big game experience for Brisbane’s young brigade.
“We tried to play our football and I thought at times we got into really good areas but the final execution wasn’t quite there and they made us pay,” Head Coach John Aloisi said.
“The boys kept on going and the game was good preparation for the season. We played with four young boys and it was a good experience for them.
“We want to win always but we didn’t want to risk players that weren’t quite ready so it was a good opportunity to see what the young boys could do.”
Victory left-sided attacker Mitch Austin put the away side in front in the 26th minute with a close-range finish after Roar stopper Jamie Young could only parry a Kosta Barbarouses effort.
Victory’s lead was doubled ten minutes before the break with James Troisi’s curling effort outside the box finding the net after a defensive mistake from Brisbane.
The Roar’s grip on the contest was lost within five minutes of the second half courtesy of two penalties to the away side.
Besart Berisha and Socceroo Mark Milligan converted their spot kicks following a Jack Hingert foul and Jade North handball.
Berisha wrapped up Victory’s performance with his second goal of the match and twelfth in the Westfield FFA Cup with a fine chipped effort in the 74th minute.
Aloisi’s side continued to press forward in the closing stages and were rewarded for their efforts when former Queens Park Rangers attacker Peter Skapetis lit up the crowd at Perry Park with a memorable long range strike to put the home side on the scoreboard.
Brisbane’s Hyundai A-League side will now return to the training park and prepare for the October 6 season opener against Melbourne City at AAMI Park.
STORY OF THE GAME
- It was an evenly-matched opening quarter with the home side starting the contest with good momentum with the opening chance falling to Shannon Brady whose effort in the 16th minute forced a sharp save from Victory stopper Lawrence Thomas.
- A clinical Melbourne Victory soon punished the Roar after a series of defensive errors, as Mitchell Austin and James Troisi gave the visitors a 2-0 lead at half time.
- Despite Victory’s lead, Aloisi’s side continued to push hard, yet slipped further behind with two penalties awarded to the away side in quick succession. Besart Berisha and Mark Milligan both stepped up and expertly finished past Jamie Young.
- The visitors 5th goal arrives in the 74th minute, however the Roar continued to press forward until the final seconds of the match and are rewarded for their efforts with a Peter Skapetis’ screamer in the 90th minute.
- Melbourne prove too strong for the Roar at Perry Park on Wednesday evening with their performance seeing them through to the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 16 for the fourth consecutive season.
GOALS
Melbourne Victory; Mitchell Austin 26’; 0-1
The away side opens the scoring at Perry Park as Kosta Barbarouses’ shot is parried by Young, allowing pacey winger Mitchell Austin an easy tap-in at the near post.
Melbourne Victory; James Troisi 35’; 0-2
Victory’s, James Troisi takes advantage of a Roar defensive error, clinically finishing past Jamie Young from outside the box.
Melbourne Victory; Besart Berisha 47’; 0-3
Jack Hingert is adjudged to have committed a foul in the box and Besart Berisha steps up to the penalty spot and confidently slots it past Young into the left-side of the net.
Melbourne Victory; Mark Milligan 51’; 0-4
Almost immediately after the first penalty, the referee awards Melbourne Victory a second spot kick, with Mark Milligan making no mistake, firing it into the Roar net.
Melbourne Victory; Besart Berisha 74’; 0-5
Besart Berisha secures a second-half brace as the striker is played through on goal and delicately finishes with a neatly-timed chip.
Brisbane Roar; Peter Skapetis 90’; 1-5
In a display of the Roar’s perseverance, Peter Skapetis gets the home side on the scoreboard and fires home with a memorable long-range effort that leaves keeper Lawrence Thomas with no chance.
Match Details
Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 – Brisbane Roar v Melbourne Victory. Wednesday, 9 August 2017.
Brisbane Roar FC 1 (Skapetis 90′)
Melbourne Victory 5 (Austin 26′, Troisi 35′, Berisha 47′, 74′, Milligan 51′)
