Brisbane Roar Youth have ended their season with a tough 5-2 loss to Gold Coast United at Owen Park on Monday afternoon.
Running on with a full strength line-up including Hyundai A-League squad members Luke Brattan, Chris Bush, Matt Mundy and Rocky Visconte, Roar Youth were looking to claim a clean sweep against their M1 rivals for the first time in the club-s history.
With both sides desperate not to concede early on, the action rarely ventured from the centre of the park.
It took until the 16th minute for the first real chance of the match when Roar Youth-s Matthew Byrne unleashed a powerful shot that Gold Coast shot stopper Tim Anderson could only parry away.
Roar Youth were unfortunate to concede a goal in the 35th minute when Gold Coast captain Steven Lustica coolly finished from six yards out.
Chris Harold curled a powerful shot past a diving Andrew Redmayne, before it ricocheted off the woodwork into the path of the United skipper who took no time in putting the ball into an empty net.
Gold Coast refused to take their foot off the accelerator when only seconds later Redmayne denied a certain goal when he acrobatically saved a powerful shot from Mitch Cooper.
However it took only seven minutes for Gold Coast to double their lead when Harold capitalised on an uncharacteristic mistake from Redmayne, dispossessing the Brisbane shotstopper and easily tapping the ball into the back of the net.
Brisbane bounced back almost immediately in the 44th minute when Josh Groenewald blasted home from just inside the box after receiving a pinpoint pass from Alastair Quinn to take the score to 2-1 at half time.
Although going into the break down by one, the Roar looked to bounce back right from the outset of the second half with Groenewald going within inches of an equaliser.
Receiving the ball just outside the box, Groenewald rounded Gold Coast ‘keeper Anderson, but his shot from an acute angle was cleared of the line by defender Zac Anderson.
It was the Gold Coast who were next to score in the 66th minute when Ben Halloran outran Daniel Bowles, before providing a classy finish in a tight space to give the home side their third goal for the match.
Gold Coast scored their fourth goal of the game in the 70th minute courtesy of a skilful finish in the box to Bobby Russell, taking the score to 4-1 for the boys from the glitter strip.
Matt Mundy gave the Roar a slither of hope in the 82 when he won his side a penalty after he was taken down in the box by Neko Vujevich.
Rocky Visconte stepped up to score from the spot and give the fans a tense final moments to the match.
James Donachie payed the ultimate price in the 88th minute for some overzealous defending, referee Jason Crow awarding the Gold Coast a penalty of their own and giving the defender his marching orders after a second yellow card.
While Andrew Redmayne managed to save the Lustica penalty, Gold Coast managed to score again only moments later courtesy of Ben Halloran.
While disappointed with his side-s final result for the season, Brisbane Roar Youth Head Coach John Sime believed that the score line was not a true representation of the way his team performed.
“We did a number of things well in that match, however we were punished for a number of silly mistakes and in the end that was the real difference between the sides,” Sime said.
“This side has done a number of really good things this year and I am very confident that we can take things to a whole new level next season.”
Gold Coast United 5 (Steven LUSTICA 35- Chris HAROLD 42-, Daniel BRAGG 66-, Robert RUSSELL 70-, Ben HALLORAN 89-)
Brisbane Roar 2 (Josh GROENEWALD 44-, Rocky VISCONTE (pen) 82-)
Monday, 28 February 2011
Owen Park, Southport
Referee: Jason Crow
Gold Coast United line-up: 1.Tim ANDERSON (GK), 2. Joshua BRILLANTE, 3. John CURTIS (12. Daniel BRAGG 59-), 4. Neko VUJEVICH, 5. Ben WEARING, 6. Koh SATAKE (13. ELLIOT RONTO 60-), 7.Zac ANDERSON, 8. Steven LUSTICA (C), 9. Chris HAROLD, 11. Ben HALLORAN, 14.Mitch COOPER (10. Bobby RUSSELL 59-)
Substitutes not used: 20. Jerrad TYSON.
Yellow cards: Neko VUJEVICH 81-
Red Cards: Nil
Brisbane Roar line-up : 1. Andrew REDMAYNE, 2. Matthew MUNDY, 3. Alastair QUINN, 4. Matthew BYRNE (11. Josh McVEY 58-), 5. Daniel BOWLES, 6. Josh GROENEWALD (9. Matthew THURTELL 58-), 7. Christopher BUSH (c), 8. James DONACHIE, 10. Luke BRATTAN, 12. Kenneth DOUGALL (14. Ross ARCHIBALD 58-), 15. Rocky VISCONTE.
Substitutes not used: 20. Matt ACTON (GK)
Yellow Cards: James DONACHIE 73-, 88-
Red Cards: James DONACHIE 88-
