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Melbourne striker Archie Thompson tonight produced a match-winning header in his A-League return from suspension to compound the Queensland Roar’s home-ground woes.
The Victory took sole ownership of top spot in the competition with a 1-0 win, courtesy of Thompson’s 70th minute goal at Suncorp Stadium.
Billy Cileski reeled off a sharp corner to Danny Allsopp at the front of the pack where he flicked a header on to an unmarked Thompson in front of the Roar goal.
The fringe Socceroo frontman, back from a two-match ban for abusing a referee, gave goalkeeper Liam Reddy no chance with the crisp header.
It sent the small band of Victory supporters, who had seen Thompson and his fellow forwards shine throughout, into delirious celebration.
The goal was a well-deserved reward for a dominant second-half performance by the visitors who opened the Roar defence up time and again after the break.
Just before Thompson’s header, Cileski had hit the woodwork with a venomous low strike while Reddy denied a curling Ney Fabiano free-kick with a stunning left-handed save.
Queensland’s defeat equals the club’s worst-ever home losing streak of four.
From five matches at Suncorp Stadium this season, the fourth-placed team have gained just a solitary point from a round two 1-1 draw with Adelaide United.
“What can you do, we’re just bad at home and we have to accept it,” a disappointed Massimo Murdocca told Fox Sports.
“It’s weird, we have to look at it and we have to fix it.”
After a pre-match downpour, the Roar started the better of the two teams with pocket rocket Murdocca and half-fit Charlie Miller prominent.
But for all their territorial superiority and extra possession, it was the Victory who went closest to scoring in the first half.
Allsopp was denied an 18th-minute goal when the linesman put his flag out for offside but replays showed the visitors were hard done by.
Brazilian striker Fabiano, in his return from a six-week suspension for spitting, hit the crossbar of the Roar’s goals from a corner late in the half and also forced Reddy into a save on the stroke of halftime.
Danny Tiatto, who picked up an early yellow card for a dangerous challenge on Allsopp, failed to last the half due to a badly bruised foot.
The home side’s best chance came in the 19th minute when Sergio van Dijk produced a long-range attempt which Michael Theoklitos parried to Tim Smits who had his return shot blocked.
Frustrated Roar coach Frank Farina’s opening lament at the post-match press conference was “it’s groundhog day”.
“Generally I was pleased with the performance but not pleased with our inability to finish, but that in a nutshell is our problem at home this season,” Farina said.
The Queenslanders were further upset by fears that Tiatto had suffered a facture in his right foot.
Victory coach Ernie Merrick rated it a very important win which puts them three points clear of Adelaide United going into the mid-season break.
Thompson was delighted with the success of the rehearsed set piece which laid the groundwork for his goal.
“Our corners tonight were our best in four seasons, we actually had a few opportunities to score tonight,” he said.
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