Western Sydney Wanderers have run out 4-1 winners over Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
Despite taking an early lead thanks a Dylan Wenzel-Halls stunner the Wanderers stormed back to run out 4-1 winners courtesy of goals from Mitch Duke, Oriol Riera & Roly Bonevacia.
Interim Head Coach Darren Davies says his side needed to control the ball better in a first half where the visitors opened up a two-goal lead.
“We scored a great goal – great combination play & a tremendous finish,” Davies said.
“Thereafter in the first half, we didn’t pass the ball or control the game as we would have liked & Western Sydney got on top.”
“I thought we were better in the second half, we kept the ball better without really creating too much this evening.”
Wenzel-Halls scored the Roar’s earliest goal of the 2018/19 season in the seventh minute when he cut in from the right and blasted a shot into the top corner to put the home side in front.
Mitch Duke restored parity for the visitors in the 15th minute with his long range effort finding the back of the net before a Riera double in the closing minutes of the first half sent the visitors in with a two-goal lead at the break.
A stoppage time goal for Roly Bonevacia rounded out the win for the visitors.
Speaking post-match, Roar forward Wenzel-Halls says all attention now turns to a trip to Melbourne next week.
“We started really well, you can’t ask for much more than an early goal first up,” Wenzel-Halls said.
“After that they had a lot of possession in the first half and made the most of that with the three goals.”
“We’re disappointed but we’ll review this and get ready for Melbourne next week.”
The 20-year old who bagged his fourth goal in five games said he felt his side were unlucky not to score in the second half.
“We’re one of those teams where a goal gives us a lot of belief.”
“If we’d got one with 10-15 minutes to go then we probably could’ve gone on and got another one, it was a disappointing way to end the game,” Wenzel-Halls concluded.
The Roar’s focus now turns to next Saturday’s trip to face Melbourne Victory at Marvel Stadium.
GOALS
Brisbane Roar – Wenzel-Halls 7’ – 1-0
Bautheac finds Wenzel-Halls with a deft before the youngster cuts back inside and curls a screamer into the top corner.
Western Sydney Wanderers – Duke 15’ – 1-1
Duke’s long-range strike creeps under Young to level the scores.
Western Sydney Wanderers – Riera 35’ – 1-2
Bonevacia sends a dangerous cross into the box which is met by Riera who blasts it into the back of the net with a thunderous volley.
Western Sydney Wanderers – Riera 40’ – 1-3
Duke’s deflected cross falls at the feet of Riera who converts at the back post. Despite the linesman’s flag originally being up the goal is awarded after VAR intervention.
Western Sydney Wanderers – Bonevacia 90+2’ – 1-4
Bonevacia breaks into the box with a thundering run before slotting the ball past Young in the dying minutes of the game.
STORY OF THE GAME
- Brisbane Roar’s youngest ever player Izaack Powell earnt his first Hyundai A-League start at Suncorp Stadium. Charles Lokoli-Ngoy also made his Brisbane Roar debut, replacing Tobias Mikkelsen in the 59th minute.
- Wenzell-Halls opens the scoring with a stunning strike in the seventh minute.
- Two goals in the space of three minutes from Oriol Riera sent the Wanderers into the break with a 3-1 lead before Roly Bonevacia rounded out the win for Western Sydney with a stoppage time goal
MATCH DETAILS
Hyundai A-League 2018/19 – Round 21: Brisbane Roar FC v Western Sydney Wanderers FC
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Friday, 8 March
Brisbane Roar FC 1 (Wenzel-Halls 7’)
Western Sydney Wanderers 4 (Duke 15’, Riera 35’, 40’, Bonevacia 90+2’)
Half-Time: 1-3
Crowd: 8,133
