Brisbane Roar have snapped Sydney FC’s 100 per cent start to the Foxtel National Youth League season with a 3-2 win at Goodwin Park.
Brisbane Roar have snapped Sydney FC’s 100 per cent start to the Foxtel National Youth League season with a 3-2 win at Goodwin Park.
A goal to Diogo Ferreira and a double to Brandon Borrello gave the Roar the three points, fighting off a second-half two-goal comeback from Sydney including a late penalty.
Brisbane’s Dimitri Petratos had first chance of the match, flashing a powerful shot across the face of goal on the 10-minute mark before Jai Ingham almost broke the deadlock after he was played in by a brilliant cross-field ball from Lachlan Jackson two minutes later.
Ferreira was the first name on the scoresheet after his goal in the 21st minute, sparking a first-half onslaught from Brisbane in the warm Saturday morning conditions in the Queensland capital.
After putting in a troublesome cross into the area, Ferreira also applied the final touch as the Sydney defence failed to clear their lines and the ball pin-balled between players in the penalty box and eventually fell to the defender.
Borrello extended the home side’s lead to 3-0 before half-time, first producing a stunning long-range effort to beat Tristan Prendergast in the Sky Blues’ goal before pouncing on a wayward back pass and easily skipping around the Sydney goalkeeper to slot home.
Sydney FC striker Mitch Mallia did his best to draw his side back into the contest, forcing a block from the Roar defenders late in the half while his team-mate Max Burgess displayed some tricky footwork inside the area but shot straight at Brisbane custodian Matt Acton.
Early in the second half, Mallia managed to pull one back after he outpaced the Brisbane back four and in similar fashion to Borrello’s second, made his way around the goalkeeper to shoot home from a slight angle.
Chances in front of goal were few and far between for both sides as the half progressed but Sydney had their second in the 77th minute via a penalty and Sydney skipper Jacob Tratt was clinical from the spot after Jordon Lampard gave away the foul inside the area.
The Sky Blues finished the stronger of the two sides, in particular, substitute Christopher Zuvela who ballooned a golden chance from the edge of the area before smacking a shot against the upright in the final minutes of the game, but the home side held on for an important victory.
Brisbane Roar 3 (Diogo FERREIRA 21′, Brandon BORRELLO 28′,35′)
Sydney FC 2 (Mitchell MALLIA 52′, Jacob TRATT 77(p)’)
Saturday, 23 November 2013
Goodwin Park, Yerongav
Brisbane Roar: 2. Diogo FERREIRA (14. Jaiden WALKER 59′), 3. Jordon LAMPARD, 4. Lachlan JACKSON, 5. James DONACHIE, 6. Ben LITFIN (c), 7. Devante CLUT, 8. Patrick THEODORE (12. Samed ALTUNDAG), 9. Jai INGHAM, 10. Dimitri PETRATOS (15. Mitchell HORE 46′), 11. Brandon BORRELLO, 20. Matt ACTON
Sydney FC: 3. Aaron CALVER, 4. Jacob TRATT (c), 5. Daniel PETKOVSKI, 6. Dylan CATON, 7. Nikola TANESKI, 8. Max BURGESS (12. Keenan GIBSON 57′), 9. Mitchell MALLIA, 10. Hagi GLIGOR, 15. Marcus DONATIELLO (16. Christopher ZUVELA 46′), 18. Anthony TOMELIC (19. Joshua SYMONS 57′) 20. Tristan PRENDERGAST (gk)