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Adelaide United ended Brisbane Roar’s finals hopes with an emphatic 2-0 win at Hindmarsh Stadium on Saturday night.
Midfielders Fabian Barbiero and Lucas Pantelis netted the vital goals in the seventh and 51st minutes respectively that delivered only Adelaide’s second win in their past nine games.
Brisbane failed to match Adelaide’s energy and their frustration peaked when captain Matt McKay was sent off in the 82nd minute for a second caution.
Adelaide’s fourth home win of the season kept their chances of avoiding the A-League wooden spoon alive.
Coach Aurelio Vidmar gave the 8,244 fans a promising preview of Argentinian import Marcos Flores for the final 30 minutes.
The attacking midfielder looked an assured signing for Adelaide’s Asian Champions League campaign that starts on February 24 despite arriving less than a month ago.
He made his debut off the substitutes bench and drew the cautions that cost McKay an early exit.
But it was Barbiero that gave Adelaide the ideal start, netting a cross from Matthew Leckie.
Brisbane rallied after his early strike and Tommy Orr forced Socceroos keeper Eugene Galecovic to carry his 30 metre drive over the cross bar in the 33rd minute.
Adelaide vice-captain Pantelis secured Adelaide’s rare win with a sweet, right foot shot into the far corner just after half time.
Roar striker Sergio van Dijk finally got free of his marker in the 91st minute but saw his shot deflect off Galecovic’s body.
Vidmar rated his dominant win over the Roar as their best game of the season.
“It’s taken far too long to come,” he said.
“I though they (the players) were absolutely brilliant from the first minute.”
Vidmar said Flores needed more game time to gel with his new teammates.
“But he’s got that ability to change the tempo of the game,” he said.
Roar coach Ange Postecoglou said the performance was extremely disappointing.
“It was our worst performance all year in our biggest game,” he said.
“We didn’t have anyone who played to the level they’re capable of.”
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