[VIDEO] Western Sydney Wanderers vs Brisbane Roar highlights: A-League scores, blog

MATCH RESULT:

The Brisbane Roar have moved back into the top 6 with a 1-0 win over the Western Sydney Wanderers in the Grand Final replay.

The early goal, and a solid defensive effort from the Roar, gave them the three points.

It was also their first ever win at Parramatta and ended the 13 game winning streak at home for the Wanderers.

The Wanderers had their chances tonight but lacked the killer strike in attack.

Brisbane also had chances to increase the lead but their defense held on.

Matt McKay was impressive for the Roar with Luke Brattan also influential for Brisbane.

Is it crisis time yet for the Wanderers? No, but time isn’t on their side.

They play Adelaide this weekend before going to Morocco for the Club World Cup. Taking something out of the Adelaide game is vital before they head overseas.

If they don’t gain any points then they will be chasing the field for the rest of the season.

As for the Roar they have now won four points since Mike Mulvey was sacked. In five games with Mulvey they only won three points.

With their new coach they have won four points in two matches. They also won without their best player, Thomas Broich.

Have they turned the corner? We will know this weekend when they Melbourne City in Melbourne.

This weekends matches will be interesting for both teams after tonight.

FINAL SCORE:
Wanderers 0
Roar 1

MATCH PREVIEW:

Tonight the Western Sydney Wanderers take on the Brisbane Roar at Pirtek Stadium in a replay of last season’s decider. Join The Roar live blog coverage from 7:30 AEDT.

It is amazing what can happen in 213 days.

On May 4 this year, both of the teams on display tonight had played in the grand final, with Brisbane edging out the Wanderers 2-1 in extra time to secure their third title.

Tonight, seven months on, both teams are in the bottom three and are desperate for a win to remain in the hunt for the finals.

After their Asian Champions League success, the Wanderers remain winless after seven games in the domestic competition and sit at the bottom of the ladder.

They have struggled to find form since that triumph and have had a busy run of fixtures since that historic win.

Their hectic schedule continues tonight, this clash the first of two games this week, before travelling to Morocco for the Club World Cup.

For Brisbane their season has also been poor, with the Roar remaining outside the all-important top six heading into the match.

Five losses to start the season ended Mike Mulvey’s tenure as coach, with interim coach Frans Thijssen to again take the reins following last weekend’s 1-1 draw with the Glory.

Despite nabbing a late equaliser against Perth, the Roar sit in eighth place with one-third of the season complete. Their standard of play, along with their points accrued, is a long way behind the best teams in the competition.

An ankle injury to midfielder Thomas Broich – a two time Johnny Warren medal winner – won’t help their efforts to get back to winning ways tonight. It’s a huge blow to the Roar, and it puts a serious dent into their title defence.

The injury comes as welcome news to Tony Popovic’s men, who must be confident that they can return to winning ways tonight.

The Wanderers have a good record against Brisbane in the league – aside from the 2013/14 decider – having only lost once in eight meetings between the clubs.

At Pirtek Stadium they are undefeated against the Roar, having secured two wins and two draws at the venue.

Last weekend, They were unlucky against Sydney FC not to get the three points, as they had plenty of chances to record their first win of the season.

Popovic – who won the AFC coach of the year – will make sure his team are prepared and ready to win tonight.

In team news, Jason Trifiro and Jaushua Sotirio have been included in the Wanderers’ squad, while Adam Sarota and Jean Carlos Solorzano have been named and could make their return from injuries for the Roar.

But the key for both sides in unlocking a win will be how they go about their work in attack.

So who can get the goals for either team?

For the Roar, it is all about Henrique who has scored five goals this season, including a hat-trick at the Jets on match-day six. With the loss of Broich, the Roar will need Henrique to be any hope of taking away points tonight.

For Western Sydney, Mark Bridge and Tomi Juric have both netted two goals, and will be keen in adding many more to their respective tallies. The pair troubled Sydney last week and they will be looking to do much of the same against Brisbane tonight.

The loss of Broich will be the difference though – he is a huge out for the visitors. The German’s absence, along with his side’s poor record at Pirtek Stadium, should be enough for the Wanderers to get their first win of the season.

Prediction: Wanderers 2-1

Join The Roar‘s live blog coverage from 7:15pm AEDT.