Brisbane Roar concluded their 2024/25 campaign with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Wellington Phoenix in the Australia Cup Final Rounds Play Off at Darwin Football Stadium on Wednesday night.
Despite fashioning 22 shots – including two that struck the woodwork to the Phoenix’s two and enjoying 58% possession it wasn’t to be for Roar, who were undone by a first half Kosta Barbarouses goal.
Roar had a big opportunity to open the scoring in tenth minute after Joshua Oluwayemi brought down Henry Hore inside the area resulting in a penalty, however Jay O’Shea fired the resulting spot-kick against the crossbar.
Asumah Abubakar looked threatening throughout the contest and forced Oluwayemi into a pair of strong saves with two goal bound headers inside the opening twenty minutes.
Barbourses scored what proved to be the game’s decisive goal in the 39th minute when he bundled home a Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues cross with a header at the back post.
Henry Hore came close to an equaliser in the 59th minute when he sliced an effort wide of the bottom corner after being played in by a Ben Halloran cutback.
O’Shea then forced Oluwayemi into another big save with a powerful strike from the top of the box after combining with Jacob Brazete in the 65th minute.
The Phoenix custodian again came up big to deny Halloran one-on-one in the 75th minute after a defensive slip allowed the winger an opportunity in behind.
Five minutes later Matt Acton was called into action at the other end to halt a Luke Brooke-Smith one-on-one after the youngster broke clear of the Roar back four.
In the 86th minute Sam Klein had a big opportunity to level the scores but blasted his shot on the turn over the bar on the end of a sweeping play between Abubakar and Brazete.
Phoenix were reduced to ten men in the 89th minute when captain, Alex Rufer received his second caution of the contest for a misplaced challenge on O’Shea.
Roar continued to pile on the pressure and came within millimetres of an equaliser with the last play of the game when Abubakar sent his header crashing off the crossbar after being picked out by a Brazete cross.
Ultimately it wasn’t to be in Michael Valkanis’ first match in charge with the new Roar boss’s full focus turning to a big 2025/26 Isuzu UTE A-League campaign.
MATCH DETAILS
Hahn Australia Cup 2025 – Final Rounds Play Off: Wellington Phoenix v Brisbane Roar
Darwin Football Stadium
Wednesday, 14 May
Wellington Phoenix – 1 (Kosta BARBAROUSES 39’)
Brisbane Roar – 0
Wellington Phoenix: 1. Joshua Oluwayemi (GK), 4. Scott Wootton, 7. Kosta Barbarouses, 8. Paulo Retre (5. Fin Roa Conchie 86’), 9. Hideki Ishige, 14. Alex Rufer (C), 17. Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues (25. Kazuki Nagasawa 90’), 18. Lukas Kelly-Heald, 19. Sam Sutton, 27. Matt Sheridan, 41. Nathan Walker (29. Luke Brooke-Smith 35’)
Substitutes Not Used: 23. Luke Supyk, 35. Dublin Boon (GK), 39. Jayden Smith, 44. Daniel Makowem
Yellow Cards: 7. Kosta Barbarouses (52’), 14. Alex Rufer (63’, 88’)
Red Cards: 14. Alex Rufer (88’)
Brisbane Roar: 29. Matthew Acton (GK), 10. Florin Bérenguer-Bohrer (18. Jacob Brazete 57’), 11. Asumah Abubakar-Ankrah, 12. Lucas Herrington, 13. Henry Hore (8. Walid Shour 75’), 15. Hosine Bility, 19. Jack Hingert (43. Adam Zimarino 86’), 21. Antonee Burke-Gilroy, 23. Keegan Jelacic (27. Benjamin Halloran 57’), 24. Samuel Klein, 26. James O’Shea (C)
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Macklin Freke (GK), 6. Austin Ludwik, 35. Louis Zabala
Yellow Cards: 15. Hosine Bility (33’), 19. Jack Hingert (51’), 26. James O’Shea (59’), 24. Samuel Klein (69’)
Red Cards: Nil
