Goals in either half to defender Matt Jurman and new National Youth League player Kwame Yeboah were the difference last night as Brisbane Roar beat Brisbane Premier League club Peninsula Power 2-0 at AJ Kelly Park.
Goals in either half to defender Matt Jurman and new National Youth League player Kwame Yeboah were the difference last night as Brisbane Roar beat Brisbane Premier League club Peninsula Power 2-0 at AJ Kelly Park.
Head Coach Rado Vidosic fielded a side with a balance of youth and experience in the club-s third pre-season fixture – including first choice goalkeeper Michael Theo, captain Matt Smith and prolific striker Besart Berisha as well as young trio Nick Fitzgerald, George Lambadaridis and Ben Halloran.
Lambadaridis had the first clear cut chance of the game, latching onto a through ball from Halloran seven minutes in but his impressive effort bounce unluckily off the woodwork.
Jurman, yet to score a Hyundai A-League goal for the club, needed just another nine minutes to break the deadlock, smashing home a left-footed shot after pouncing on the loose ball in the penalty box – matching his efforts of last pre-season when he scored against fellow local team Wynnum Wolves.
A throng of half-time substitutes saw Anthony Proia, Kenneth Dougall, Kwame Yeboah and Rocky Visconte thrown into the mix and it was one of the youngsters who doubled Brisbane-s lead just before the hour mark.
Yeboah-s celebration will be remembered just as much as his stunning mid-range effort, launching straight into a back-flip to commemorate his first goal for the Roar.
Not long after Michael Theo was forced into a fingertip save as Peninsula pounced on a defensive mix-up, but the Roar No.1 was up to the task of keeping the Brisbane Premier League side at bay.
The visitors continued to dictate play as the match wore on with a cheeky quickly-taken free-kick from Ivan Franjic almost increasing Brisbane-s advantage in the final minutes of the game – the right-back was denied only by the post.
Peninsula Power 0
Brisbane Roar 2 (Matt Jurman 17-, Kwame Yeboah 59-)
