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Two goals in five minutes helped Queensland keep their top-two A-League hopes alive – but a controversial penalty remained the talking point after the Roar held out Perth 4-2 at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
Dutch striker Sergio van Dijk (77th minute) extended his stunning run with his 11th goal of the season before defender Josh McCloughan’s 82nd minute header from a corner finally decided the thrilling encounter.
However, Roar hardman Danny Tiatto’s yellow card from referee Peter O’Leary in the 66th minute threatened to swing the match.
Former Socceroo Tiatto is known as an A-League toughman – he is playing with a broken thumb, two fractured toes and a damaged shoulder, after all.
But Tiatto obviously fancies himself as a striker after a stunning 25m left foot effort in the 63rd minute handed Queensland a 2-1 lead in a game they had to win to keep alive a second chance in the looming finals.
Tiatto was embraced by teammates after his first ever A-League goal and all but received a standing ovation from the 17,367-strong crowd.
Three minutes later it all went pear shaped for the veteran.
Tiatto received a dubious yellow card from O’Leary for a challenge on Victor Sikora – and quickly saw red.
If he was angry over the decision, he would have been combustible when Anthony Skorich scored from the resulting penalty kick to lock up the scores.
Skorich was booed by the Roar faithful as he celebrated a goal the Suncorp Stadium crowd clearly believed was undeserved.
The Roar fanatics found their voice again in the 77th minute when van Dijk’s sublime touch from a deft Matt McKay cross again gave the hosts the lead.
Five minutes later the Queensland fans went berserk when McCloughan found the back of the net.
The result ensures Adelaide must defeat Central Coast at Gosford on Sunday to deny Queensland second spot.
Roar coach Frank Farina said there was no way Tiatto should have received a yellow card.
“He was outstanding, shouldn’t have been booked. It was a great tackle,” he said.
“We copped a second goal from it, but it was a wonderful tackle. There was nothing wrong with that whatsoever.”
Asked if Tiatto’s reputation contributed to the booking, Farina said: “Look, I am not going to get into it too much.
“(Perth’s Nikolai) Topor-Stanley in the first half made a bad tackle … didn’t get anything.
“But anyway, the positive was he played really well.
“And I don’t think he is going to score a more important goal than that for the club.”
All yellow cards are wiped clean for players when the A-League finals begin.
After notching their fifth home win in a row, Farina sized up the Roar’s chances in the imminent finals and liked what he saw.
“Our last number of games here we have come home strong and not let too many things affect our mental or physical attitude,” he said.
“As long as we can maintain that over the next month or so, we are going to have a good shot.”
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