A heart-breaking penalty just four minutes after half time ended Brisbane Roar’s recent revival of form in their Round 9 Hyundai A-League match against Melbourne City at AAMI Park today.
After Brisbane had dominated the first half, referee Shaun Evans awarded the spot kick despite limited contact by young Roar fullback Daniel Bowles on City’s Mate Dugandzic as he surged into the box in the 49th minute.
Melbourne City’s Socceroo Aaron Mooy slotted his penalty shot to the left as Roar keeper Jamie Young went the other way.
It was a disappointing result for the Roar after their fighting win over Western Sydney Wanderers midweek and last weekend’s draw with league leaders Perth Glory. It was the Roar’s first loss under new interim coach Frans Thijssen.
Roar captain Matt Smith said the team battled hard against a desperate Melbourne City.
“The intent was there, we tried to pass, we tried to create opportunities . . . we got it out of defence into midfield but we were just not good enough in the final third,’’ he said.
The result allowed Melbourne City to leapfrog the Roar into sixth place with the Roar now sitting in seventh position.
The Roar began fluently, pushing the ball around confidently as they strung passes together probing a nervous-looking reshuffled City defence.
The Roar’s first scoring chance came in the 23rd minute when Dimitri Petratos squared from the right but Socceroo midfielder Matt McKay scooped his shot wide left from inside the box.
McKay came desperately close to making amends just five minutes later when he won the ball in midfield, dribbled 30 metres then played a neat one-two with Henrique before blasting a left-foot shot that hit the crossbar and rebounded out.
Former Roar player Erik Paartalu had a golden opportunity to score in the 32nd minute – City’s Mooy curled a free-kick to the far post where Paartalu got inside his Roar marker but steered his close-range header wide.
The penalty appeared to shake the Roar and they temporarily lost their rhythm as City pushed hard for a second goal. The Roar defence held but City also contained any Brisbane counterattacks.
But the introduction of Roar substitutes Adam Sarota and Jean Carlos Solorzano returned some urgency to the side again and Brisbane pressured late for an equaliser before time ran out.
Sunday, 7 December, 2014
Hyundai A-League 2014/15 Round 9
Melbourne City 1 (Aaron MOOY 49’ pen)
Brisbane Roar 0
Halftime: 0-0
AAMI Park, Melbourne
Referee: Shaun Evans
Melbourne City FC: 4. Connor CHAPMAN, 5.Erik PAARTALU, 6.Aaron MOOY, 11.Damien DUFF (15.David WILLIAMS 46’), 14.James BROWN (7.Iain RAMSAY 76’), 19.Ben GARUCCIO, 20.Tando VELAPHI (GK), 21.Stefan MAUK, 23.Mate DUGANDZIC, 24.Patrick KISNORBO, 25.Jacob MELLING (8.Massimo MURDOCCA 83’).
Substitutes not used: 1.Andrew REDMAYNE (GK), 3.Rob WIELAERT.
Yellow cards: Ben GARUCCIO 86’
Red cards: Nil
Brisbane Roar FC: 2.Matthew SMITH (c), 5.Corey BROWN, 7.Mensur KURTISHI (12.Jean Carlos SOLORZANO 67’), 10.HENRIQUE, 13.Jade NORTH, 14.Daniel BOWLES, 17.Matt McKAY, 18.Luke BRATTAN (8.Steven LUSTICA 77’), 21.Jamie YOUNG (gk), 23.Dimitri PETRATOS, 28.Brandon BORRELLO (4.Adam SAROTA 63’).
Substitutes not used: 15.James DONACHIE, 30.Matthew ACTON (gk).
Yellow cards: Daniel BOWLES 32’
Red cards: Nil
