Seventeen-year-old Tommy Oar rocketed Queensland Roar into second place on the A-League ladder with a sensational late dead-ball strike to burn the Wellington Phoenix 3-2 at Suncorp Stadium.

Oar, who finished high school just this year, powered a left-footer past Phoenix goalkeeper Glen Moss after a slight deflection to break a tense stalemate on Sunday night.

The Young Socceroos forward drilled the goal from just outside the penalty area after Wellington skipper Andrew Durante was red-carded for bringing down free-running winger Michael Zullo.

Oar, a major handful for 23 minutes he spent on the park as a replacement for fellow Australian U20 player Tahj Minniecon, was swamped by his teammates after the injury-time goal.

The strike took the Roar to equal second with Melbourne on 26 points on the ladder, just a point behind Adelaide United who have a game in hand over both.

Winless at home in their first five matches this season, the Roar have turned that record on its head with three straight victories at Suncorp.

Despite enjoying two-thirds of possession, Queensland were forced to come from behind twice to keep their place in the top four.

The Brisbane crowd of 13,115 would have gone home unsatisfied without Oar’s late goal, especially after the Roar missed three golden chances in the final 10 minutes as their young guns cut loose.

Oar brought a new lease of life into the game but Michael Zullo, Sergio van Dijk and Mitch Nicholls all failed to capitalise.

The trio had been among the most influential players on the park and Dutchman van Dijk continued his hot run of form by setting up Queensland’s first goal and scoring their second.

In an amazing two minutes after the half-time break, van Dijk scored from a Zullo cross after Liam Reddy failed to keep out a Troy Hearfield header at the near post.

Wellington took a shock 1-0 lead in the 11th minute when Roar defender Luke DeVere inexplicably scored an own goal by ducking his head into a Shane Smeltz cross that evaded Troy Hearfield.

Mitch Nicholls was a first-half stand-out and went close with a powerful drive from outside the box which shaved the outside net in the 25th minute.

It was Nicholls who laid the platform for the Roar’s 38th-minute equaliser by surging towards the Phoenix penalty area only to be brought down by skipper Andrew Durante.

Striker van Dijk produced a brilliant spot kick which Moss only just deflected onto the crossbar but it rebounded back into the falling keeper who wasn’t able to clean up before terrier Matt McKay pounced to tap home.

A renowned dead-ball specialist in the local Q-League, Gold Coaster Oar admitted he was fortunate to get some help from Tony Lochhead in the Wellington wall.

“It was probably one of my luckier ones,” said the rookie after just his second A-League appearance.

“It took a deflection.

“I’m obviously pretty happy about it but I’m just happy to be in the team playing at the moment.”
Coach Frank Farina felt van Dijk’s goal just after Hearfield scored was just as crucial for the Roar but was delighted to have enjoyed a win from a late sucker punch after conceding several earlier this season.

“It feels absolutely beautiful, much better than the other way around,” Farina said.

“The last couple of games we’ve done to teams what people have done to us.”
Rubbing salt into Wellington’s wounds, the Phoenix will be without Durante and Jon McKain, who picked up his fifth yellow card of the season, for their crucial home match against Newcastle next Sunday.

“I think we were just a bit sloppy at times and I think with the goals we just didn’t concentrate and that cost us,” McKain said.

“To lose to a free kick in the 91st minute it’s heart-breaking.”

© AAP 2012

Enjoy sports? Enjoy a bargain? All Sports Online has your favourite sporting brands at up to 70% off. Online only, premium quality sporting goods and merchandise at discounted prices. Get a deal now.