Sydney FC vs Brisbane Roar: A-League live scores, blog

That's it from me tonight guys! Keep an eye on results in the Championship this weekend... both Leeds and West Brom have matches against teams in the bottom 3 so if the wheels are REALLY falling off those two then we'll have a better sense of it on monday. Have great weekends and catch you all soon.

MATCH REPORT. An uncomfortable victory for Sydney FC tonight, defeating a stout Brisbane Roar by a single goal. The match winner came in the 57th minute when Adam LeFondre blasted a penalty past Jamie Young after having his open play shot blocked by the hand of Scott Neville which lead to the penalty, a second yellow and a sending off. That single goal was the difference on the scoresheet, but both teams had chances with Young making a number of excellent saves – a couple from extremely close range – and Brisbane fluffing a few gilt-edged chances very late on to get an equaliser. Absurdly, Brisbane seemed to become more stout after losing Neville (Robbie Fowler immediately removed a striker Wenzel-Halls for Bowles, another defender), had slightly more of the ball after that and made those great chances for Amadi-Holloway and then Pepper who both needed feather touches to score but chose “power drive” and missing the target. It was a subdued Sydney FC tonight who relied on moments of magic to break a compact and well drilled Roar. A number of key Sydney players were not quite on their game tonight, and were let down slightly by their final balls or the pressure exerted by the Roar back 5 when a Sydney player was played in. Luckily for sky blue fans they had Luke Brattan who put on a passing masterclass tonight to allow Sydney to play through the thirds. Two experienced, proven strikers like LeFondre and Barbarouses don’t need a lot of chances to make something happen, and Brattan continuously found them in space. His dead ball range was also off the charts, and he found Sydney heads and bodies with countless free kicks. Some of his service was so good that the Sydney man at the back post just wasn’t expecting the ball to get through and couldn’t make the most of the ball. MAN OF THE MATCH was Luke Brattan. Arnie-ball relied on his two 10s to do all the creative work, but this Corica Sydney team can create from deeper, can rely a little less on the counter and that is largely because of Luke Brattan. A near flawless display.

After going a man down Brisbane seemed to have more of the ball than before. It ended with Sydney just shading possession with 54%, but ultimately getting on top with shots, registering 13 to 11 with 7 on target to 3. But what the stats won't tell us is the 2 shots near the death that could easily (and arguably should) have gone in for Brisbane.

It was an odd game this one. Brisbane went a man down after an hour but still seemed in this game, somehow. Sydney were certainly not at their best tonight, and by the end were lucky not to have coughed up a point. Brisbane may feel aggrieved at the handball call that lead to the red card and penalty, but it was the right call.

FULLTIME. Sydney FC wins this one by a single goal, a penalty infact, to Adam LeFondre

90+4" - SHOT WIDE from Pepper!! Brisbane have thrown the kitchen sink at this injury time, and find a way to blow a better chance than Amadi-Holloway's from earlier. It was a wonderful cross in for Amadi-Holloway, who's blanketed by Wilkinson and Redmayne comes off his line, tamely hits it at Pepper inside the box who needs only to poke it around Redmayne to score but he slices it wide. It's just not their night | SYD 1 – BRI 0

Sydney will be eager to run the clock down here. Brisbane won't go away and are running themselves ragged with one less player... Sydney themselves seem quite spent out there.

We approach the 90, and there will be FOUR ADDITIONAL MINUTES

Apologies to Chesterfield fans.. they're actually in the Conference (the 5th tier), not National south or north.

88' - a final SUBSTITUTION for Sydney. Ninkovic given a rest and Van Der Saag comes ON

85' - OVER THE BAR from Amadi-Holloway!! Well that was their CHANCE the Roar and Amadi-Holloway spuns it! It's a quick ball over the top to the Welshman that Wilkinson misreads, gets underneath it which allows Amadi-Holloway to turn him and fend him off. He tries to just flick it over Redmayne haring off his line but he gets too much boot on it. That was their chance, Brisbane | SYD 1 – BRI 0

Well Fowler's played all his cards now, making his personnel changes up front. There's a lot being asked now of Amadi-Holloway, the big Welshman who'll be looking for knockdowns and short balls to McDonald in a front 2

Buhagiar does indeed get a run, coming ON for Barbarouses

Aiden O'Neill has come ON for Brisbane. Corey Brown the man coming OFF.

80' - Barbarouses - who's been a little off tonight - gets in behind the back 3 and then gets his angles completely wrong with the pass and blasts it out for a GOAL KICK | SYD 1 – BRI 0

When the heat invariably drops out of this game it's worth looking up Jay O'Shea's catalogue. It's a rogue's gallery of poorly managed clubs. This gig in Brisbane might be a rare one that pays him on time. He's played at Chesterfield (who have dropped into division 6 from being in League One in recent memory), most recently with Bury - who have since been expelled from the EFL. In a real sliding doors for O'Shea, he rejected a longer deal with Sheffield United in 2017 before choosing a free transfer to Bury. What might have been!

Sydney has 3 strikers out there now.... it looks like Caceras has dropped back to support Brattan, and Ivanovic steps into Caceras' role sitting inside on the right.