Brisbane Roar has their first Isuzu UTE A-League win of the 2022/23 season after a 3-1 win over Sydney FC on Sunday.
It was a clinical performance ahead of the World Cup break with first-half goals from Charlie Austin and Carlo Armiento before substitute Josh Brindell-South scored a screamer to secure the three points.
Head coach Warren Moon said his side was rewarded for a fast start.
“We wanted to make sure we hit the ground running, that we were on the front foot and scoring goals so our intent was to get at them early,” he said.
“They [Sydney FC] had their moments but we were the better side and deserved the win.”
The Roar opened the scoring after six minutes as Jay O’Shea’s free-kick was parried by Andrew Redmayne to the feet of Joe Knowles – his shot was saved, before Austin put it away.
Austin then had the chance to double the Roar’s lead five minutes later, being awarded a penalty after he was brought down in the box by Sydney’s newest recruit Adrian Vlastelica.
While Redmayne, doing his famous Wiggles routine, saved Austin’s penalty and backed up to parry Nicola Mileusnic’s chance, it wasn’t enough to keep out Carlo Armiento’s follow-up.
It was the young winger’s first goal with Roar, giving them a 2-0 buffer just 13 minutes in.
After the fast-paced start, the match settled for the remainder of the half with the Sky Blues creating a handful of chances.
Their pressure on the Roar defence would see them be rewarded as Freke’s initial save found Anthony Caceres whose effort was deemed to have crossed the goal line after a VAR check, despite the valiant efforts of captain Tom Aldred.
The Roar were looking to put the game beyond reach in the second half, with several chances early on including an acrobatic attempt from Knowles.
The introduction of Riku Danzaki and Henry Hore to the match only caused more trouble for Sydney’s defensive line.
And just four minutes later, Hore carried the ball down the left side of the field, squaring it to O’Shea, who laid it off for Brindell-South to rile it into the top corner.
It put the match beyond doubt when Sydney’s substitute Paulo Retre was sent off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity after bringing down Danzaki.
Moon said it was a solid, all-around performance by the team.
“We just have to keep growing as a team,” he said. “Now we want to add a bit more potency, intent and bravery to go forward, that is what we want to see in our games.
“I want to see our boys take the game on, I know we’ve got good players and when we believe in ourselves, we can be a match for anyone.”
Brisbane Roar’s next Isuzu UTE A-League match will be on 9 December against Adelaide United at Moreton Daily Stadium.
