Three goals in the final ten minutes has seen the Brisbane Roar triumph over the Melbourne Victory in a 2-1 win. An injury time goal securing the Roar’s spot in the semi-finals.
It was all Melbourne Victory in the first half as they dominated possession and put the Roar on the back foot. Brisbane were able to do enough in defence however to keep the first half goal-less with no clear chances falling to either side.
Roar emerged from the break and took the game to the Victory with the injection of super sub Henrique just after half-time providing them a vital spark.
Both teams were defending with real resilience though and with just over ten minutes to play the game looked destined for extra time.
But then a twist in the tale as Jason Geria was shown a second yellow card in the 83rd minute for another bookable offence. Down to ten men, Victory defied the numerical disadvantage however to open the scoring minutes later.
A corner in the 86th minute was volleyed home by who else but former Brisbane striker Besart Berisha. The Albanian striker leaving his marker behind and lunging to connect on the half-volley with the cross. An instinctive first time shot that left Jamie Young well beaten as Victory temporarily went ahead.
The lead wasn’t to last long however with Roar captain Matt McKay standing up when his team needed him most to tuck the ball home for the equaliser in the 87th minute. McKay found to the right of goal by Dimitri Petratos, with the midfielder stroking the ball first time into the bottom left of goal past Lawrence Thomas.
With all the momentum and an extra player on the pitch, Brisbane went searching for a winner that Thomas Broich duly delivered two minutes into injury time. Corona with a pin-point corner delivered to the middle of the box that Broich rose gracefully to meet and head powerfully into goal.
And that was all she wrote as Brisbane sealed a remarkable turn around to secure a semi-final clash with the Western Sydney Wanderers at Pirtek Stadium next week.
For the reigning champions Melbourne Victory their title defence is over with their attention now turning to an ACL clash on Tuesday.
Final Score:
Brisbane Roar 2
Melbourne Victory 1
It was a stalemate last week, but blood will have to be split this time around as Brisbane Roar host the Melbourne Victory in the first of two elimination finals. Join us on The Roar from 7:30pm (AEST) for all of the action.
Needing a win last week to book a home semi-final after a see-sawing season, the Roar just couldn’t find the back of the net against a resilient Victory.
The goalless draw allowed the Wanderers to snatch second spot and force Brisbane into a do-or-die rematch this week.
Firing blanks last week, the Roar will be hoping usually potent striker Jamie Maclaren and holding midfielder Corona can pull the right punches and secure the right result this time around.
For reigning A-League champions Melbourne Victory it hasn’t been the most convincing of follow-up seasons, but they have managed to secure a spot in the finals.
With the ACL a clear distraction, the Victory have had to dig deep to find the right results. Once such dig has seen the emergence of Lawrence Thomas as first-choice keeper, the man who single-handedly kept the Roar goalless last week.
Brisbane boast a fully fit squad, with the only squad changes seeing Shane Stefanutto and Javier Hervas promoted.
It’s a much changed Victory outfit on the other hand, with Nick Ansell returning from injury, Besart Berisha returning from a shortened suspension, and Daniel Georgievski, Leigh Broxham, Kosta Barbarouses, Archie Thompson and Matthieu Delpierre all promoted. As a result Connor Pain, Giancarlo Gallifuoco, Dylan Murnane, Thomas Deng and Stefan Nigro all drop out, with Rashid Mahazi remaining sidelined with an injury.
No goals last week, but the ball has to find the back of the net at least once tonight as the Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory face-off. Join us on The Roar from 7:30pm (AEST) to see who prevails and books their place in the semi-final.
Lionheart
Guest
classic Fuss, so this would be the reason why you import your players and coaches from that region huh? Look mate, it hurts to lose, we know, so you have my sympathy and understanding. My advice, contain it, get a grip.
paul
Guest
Why don't you make a video sitting your car about it then? :P
libby
Guest
I don't need the Roar to win... I just needed them to win last night. Always so sweet to beat Victory. Everything from here on in is just gravy. Once again this season the Roar proved the doubters wrong, what heart we have. For Broich to head the winner was gold... he is a true champion. I do wish reporting said more of the fact that Muscats men (not all but many) employed the thuggish tactics that so distinctly marked his game as a player. I hope the young and talented Geria gets out from under his muddy wing next season... Geria deserved the send off... but its the coach I would think that is more the concern.
hogdriller
Roar Rookie
Big water mark on the Pitch from where Berisha was standing..........balling his eyes out, waaaaaaaagh! waaaaaaaaagh!!
Fussball IUL
Roar Rookie
Lads played extremely well. The best 90' of football we've played since last year's Grand Final - but didn't get the result. That's football. Massive couple of weeks coming up & the boys are finally returning to the quality I want to see at MVFC: 19 April: Shanghai SIPG (away) 3 May: Gamba Osaka (home)
j binnie
Guest
Josh - A good headline "A ghost haunts Suncorp" would have been better used, for Ned Kelly at his Glenrowan best,never accomplished a greater "steal" than what happened last night. Cheers jb
j binnie
Guest
TK - How right you are. In the cold light of the next day, and the settling down of the usual euphoria, any reasonable game analyst would still be scratching his head wondering how this result came about. It looked to be "status quo" when the Roar team lined up with the same 11 that could not score last week, and for 70 minutes it looked if anything ,worse,for the 'chosen few" hadn't even managed a shot on target I suppose one could be nice and say that what happened was typical cup tie football but that would be naive for the truth is Roar were totally outplayed in every part of the ground for 70 odd minutes and only survived because of good shot-stopping or bad finishing on behalf of Victory,depending on what you prefer. Great 15 minute comeback and superb winner aside this Roar team will have to pick itself up in following games for it would be remiss to think this game ,and outcome ,could be repeated in coming weeks.Cheers jb
Andy
Guest
It can't be, if m city win they play Adelaide in the semi
TK
Guest
Ian - that man was wearing No. 22 ! As I said tonight at the game, we'll need Doctor's certificates before getting membership again next year if the roar are going to keep doing this.
TK
Guest
Thank you Besart Berisha - without your goal the slumbering Brisbane roar may never have woken up....but that sparked us into action and fortunately we only had to be good for 7 minutes. That Broich header was soooo sweet - textbook.
Ian
Guest
Good one TK Cometh the hour Cometh the man
Vic tory
Guest
JR Why should he be suspended for 3 matches genius?
JR Salazar
Guest
I hope Geria is suspended for the first three games of the season. What a rubbish player.
AZ_RBB
Guest
Damn right we want revenge for 2014!
jamesb
Guest
What a great finish to the game. Roar somehow won it. Sort of felt that Victory were the dominant side. Anyway, Victory can now concentrate on the ACL. WSW v Roar I'm sure the WSW would want revenge after losing the GF to them in 2014.
c
Guest
will be aufc v city
pete4
Guest
Congrats to Brisbane after having their backs to the wall for most of this one Melb City v Perth on Sunday shaping up to be another pulsating match-up
Stevo
Roar Rookie
What would be delicious would be a City v Roar grand final. Aloisi v JVS.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Let's give the Wanderers faithful a good sendoff from Pirtek then and send them packing from the A-League finals!
Cameron
Roar Guru
Brisbane Roar are the Comeback Kings of any team playing sport in this country let alone football!