Brisbane Roar’s difficult season has ended with a 2-0 loss in Perth against the Glory at ME Bank Stadium.
Brisbane Roar-s difficult season has ended with a 2-0 loss in Perth against the Glory at ME Bank Stadium.
The home side started the game strongly living up to their pre-match favouritism.
The Glory were rewarded for their bright opening when Scott Neville was Johnny-on-the-spot to slot into an open goal after Matt Ham failed to get anything on a Todd Howarth cross.
Both sides were playing long balls to their respective tall timber up front, but it was not the entertaining and attacking contest many had hoped for with no pressure on either side.
Brisbane had a series of set-pieces – long throws and corners – as the clock ticked towards 20 minutes, but all the Roar could muster was a Sergio van Dijk flick header which was going wide and a failed attempt at a bicycle kick from Reinaldo.
The Roar kept the pressure on but were unable to fashion a clear-cut opportunity on Tando Valaphi-s goal.
With 28 minutes gone Adam Sarota worked a movement down the left with Michael Zullo before unleashing a shot from just outside the box which had the Perth keeper scrambling but drifted just wide of the goal.
After the strong start to the match, Perth offered very little going forward until Jamie Harnwell latched onto a cross at the top of the box but his lunging effort went well over the bar on 34 minutes.
At the other end Luke DeVere found himself free on the end of a Tommy Oar corner, but he headed well wide of the mark.
A strong run at the Glory defence from DeVere at the opening of the second half ended with a free-kick on the edge of the Perth penalty area, but van Dijk failed to catch the free-kick cleanly and the ball went wide again.
Straight up the other end Harnwell attempted an outrageous lob over Ham, but the ball fell onto the roof of the net and not in it.
Yet another Roar corner ended with an opportunity to score, this time Reinaldo rose highest but again failed to get his effort on target.
Brisbane were clearly the dominant team in the second half but were struggling to create any efforts on goal to trouble Velaphi.
With 20 minutes left in the contest the game opened up as both teams tired in the warm conditions.
Against the run of play Glory secured a fortuitous second goal when the ball bounced off the back of Daniel McBreen-s head for substituted Scott Bulloch to secure the three points for the home side.
With six minutes left, Brisbane finally forced Velaphi into a save when substitute Mitch Nichols smashed a shot at goal which the Perth keeper tipped over the bar.
Wayne Shroj nearly capped Brisbane-s misery with a shot from just inside his own half which had Ham beaten, before clipping the outside of the post.
Brisbane had a free-kick right at the death, but again couldn-t convert the opportunity and ended the season with a disappointing loss.
Saturday 13 February 2010
Perth Glory 2 (Scott Neville 9-, Scott Bulloch 73′)
Brisbane Roar 0
ME bank Stadium, Perth
Referee: Peter Green
Perth Glory Squad: 1.Tando VELAPHI (gk), 2.Danny McBreen, 3.Jamie COYNE, 4.Andy TODD, 5.Jamie HARNWELL (23. Andrija JUKIC 71-), 10. Wayne SRHOJ, 12.Scott NEVILLE, 14. Steven McGARRY, 16.Adriano PELLEGRINO (28. Tommy AMPHLETT 59-), 17.Todd HOWARTH (13. Scott BULLOCH 59-), 19.Naum SEKULOVSKI.
Substitutes not used: 20. Aleks VRTESKI (gk),
Yellow cards: Andrija JUKIC (86-)
Red cards: Nil
Brisbane Roar squad: 1. Matt HAM (gk), 3. Luke DEVERE, 4. Pieter COLLEN, 7. Michael ZULLO (2. Andrew PACKER 62-), 8. Massimo MURDOCCA, 9. Sergio VAN DIJK 17. Mitch NICHOLS 73-), 11. REINALDO, 13. HENRIQUE (10. Steven BRYCE 83-), 14. Adam SAROTA, 21. Tommy OAR, 22. Ivan FRANJIC.
Subsitutes not used: 20. Griffin McMASTER (gk)
Yellow cards: REINALDO (45-+1), Andrew PACKER (66-)
Red cards: Nil
