The Brisbane Roar ran out 8-0 winners against 2022 FQPL Grand Finalist Rochedale Rovers in a pre-season friendly at Underwood Park on Saturday night.
It was a quick start by the men in orange, taking a 2-0 advantage less than 10 minutes into the clash, courtesy of Henry Hore and a Rovers own goal.
Charlie Austin would go on to add a third with a blistering shot from inside the box in the 24th minute before Nicola Mileusnic beat the goalkeeper at close range to give the Roar a 4-0 lead heading into halftime.
For captain Tom Aldred, the match was his first back following an injury, playing the first 45 minutes of the game before being substituted during the break.
“It was good to get 45 minutes in the legs with three weeks to go until the A-League season,” he said.
“I was a bit annoyed that I couldn’t be fit for the [Australia Cup] semi-final but it was the right call with the season on the horizon and it’s good to be back on the pitch.”
With the second half got underway, Austin and Hore combined for a one-two just 14 minutes in which saw the 23-year-old midfielder add his second of the night.
Three minutes later, Cyrus Dehmie, who returned from injury during the Roar’s Australia Cup semi-final loss, put his name on the scoresheet before Jez Lofthouse added a seventh in the 70th minute with a header.
Not long after, Dehmie was pulled down in the box with Jesse Daley quickly putting his hand up to take the spot kick, slotting it into the back of the net for Roar’s eighth of the night.
“Regardless of the opposition, it was still a good performance, and everyone looks fit and ready to go so that’s the most important thing leading into round one,” Aldred said.
While the Roar have a final pre-season hit out this weekend, the team’s attention has turned to their Isuzu UTE A-League Round 1 match against Macarthur FC at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday 8 October.
It will be the first of three games at Suncorp Stadium for the 2022/23 Isuzu UTE A-League season.
Aldred said he was looking forward to returning to Suncorp Stadium for the first time since March 2020.
“We had a good [Australia] Cup run, and it was frustrating to go out in the semi-final, however, I think it’s about getting all the minutes into the lad’s legs and getting ready for that Round 1,” Aldred said.
“We’re back at Suncorp but more importantly back in Brisbane. Hopefully, we put in quite a good performance there and get the win,” he added.
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