- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
A-League leaders Brisbane extended their unbeaten run to 11 matches after a late goal to Costa Rican Jean Carlos Solorzano salvaged a 1-1 draw with Newcastle on Wednesday night.
The Jets appeared headed for their second straight win after a second-half Ben Kantarovski header had put them ahead in front of 7829 fans at EnergyAustralia Stadium.
But a defensive lapse allowed substitute Solorzano a simple tap-in in the 80th minute to secure the visitors a point and put them five points clear atop the competition table.
It was another encouraging performance by the Jets, who continued their resurrection under new owner Nathan Tinkler after Saturday’s 3-1 win over second-placed Adelaide.
Former Everton and Arsenal striker Francis Jeffers again impressed in his second outing for Newcastle, putting in a tireless 68-minute shift and almost scoring on several occasions.
After an entertaining-but-goalless first half, the Jets made a breakthrough from the set piece, just as they had done against Adelaide on Saturday.
Kantarovski was allowed too much time and space from a 53rd-minute Kasey Wehrman corner and put away a powerful header.
The Roar, missing influential midfielder Matt McKay to Socceroos duty, were unlucky not to equalise with Mitch Nichols firing a shot into the post in the 60th minute.
But they weren’t to be denied when Nichols played it wide to Ivan Franjic, who cut a lovely ball into the path of Solorzano and the goal was allowed despite suggestions of offside.
Desperate for another three points, the Jets continued to attack and could have snatched a victory when Ruben Zadkovich hammered a shot in the right upright in the 85th minute.
Both sides had their chances in an entertaining first half, with Jeffers almost poaching a goal in the 14th minute when he caught Michael Theoklitos taking too much time with the ball.
Kantarovski also came close, forcing a decent save out of Theoklitos with a curling effort in the 24th minute.
Then Kantarovski was called into action at the other end and did well to clear the ball off the line in the 32nd minute to prevent an own goal.
The Roar looked increasingly sharp in the final third and their best chance came when striker Reinaldo found himself in space and unleashed a powerful drive, only to be denied by a brilliant Ben Kennedy save.
Jets coach Branko Culina initially thought Solorzano’s goal should have been ruled offside but admitted after the match it was probably legal.
But he was disappointed his team could not get a victory he felt it deserved.
“Again, we’re probably not going to get the respect or attention this (performance) deserves because it’s not the three points,” Culina said.
“But we know we’re a good football team, we’re know we’re doing the right things and we know we belong further up the table.
“It is hard to swallow though, you would like sometimes for a bit of luck to go your way.”
Roar coach Ange Postecoglou was delighted with how his side had responded from a short turnaround following a 2-1 win away to Melbourne Heart on Sunday.
“I thought it was a fantastic effort by the boys,” Postecoglou said.
“It was an easy night for us to just lie down if we wanted to but once again, fantastic spirit shown and I couldn’t be prouder.”
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.