Brisbane Roar have given their Isuzu UTE A-League finals hopes a boost with a 3-2 win over Melbourne Victory at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
A Marco Rojas brace coupled with a Thomas Waddingham strike was enough to see off a Victory side who scored through Zinedine Machach and Roly Bonevacia.
Rojas opened the scoring and his account in Roar colours in the 23rd minute when he sent a looping header over Paul Izzo after the Victory shot stopper blocked Waddingham’s initial effort.
Machach ensured the sides would head into the break with the scores level after he sent a powerful finish into the bottom corner on the end of a driving run at the Roar defence.
Rojas reinstated Roar’s lead in the 53rd minute with a diving header at the back post to turn home a superb Keegan Jelacic cross and complete his brace on his first Roar start.
Waddingham made it three when he reacted quickest to finish after Izzo pulled out a fingertip save to deny a Jelacic strike.
Victory reduced the deficit through a powerful Bonevacia strike in the 86th minute but it proved to be too little too late for Tony Popovic’s side with the match finishing 3-2.
Sunday’s win means sevneth placed Roar move to within three points of the competition’s top six with seven rounds remaining of the 2023/24 regular season.
Next up for Brisbane is a trip to face Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium in Isuzu UTE A-League Round 20 action next Sunday afternoon.
Ruben Zadkovich | Press Conference | Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne Victory
Marco Rojas | Post Match | Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne Victory
MATCH DETAILS
Isuzu UTE A-League Men 2023/24 – Round 19: Brisbane Roar v Melbourne Victory
Suncorp Stadium, Milton
Sunday, 3 March
Brisbane Roar – 3 (Marco ROJAS 23’ 53’, Thomas WADDINGHAM 70’)
Melbourne Victory – 2 (Zinedine MACHACH 35’, Roly BONEVACIA 86’)
