A 94th-minute Riku Danzaki goal ensured Brisbane Roar came from a goal down to defeat Western United 2-1 at Moreton Daily Stadium on Wednesday night.
A goalless first-half preceded a see-sawing second 45 which saw United take the lead through Lachlan Wales on the hour-mark, before the Roar staged a late fightback.
Josh Brindell-South levelled the scores on 72 minutes after Alex Parsons’ shot spilled out of United ‘keeper Ryan Scott’s reach for the Brisbane defender to finish into an unguarded net.
The hosts took momentum into the final 15 minutes of the contest, growing in confidence after surviving a frantic goalmouth scramble in which a sea of Roar defenders combined to keep a hungry pack of United attackers at bay.
In the 82nd minute it looked as though Brisbane had found the winner when Dylan Wenzel-Halls fired a low shot past Scott to put a second Roar goal on the board, before a VAR inquest spotted a handball by the Brisbane forward when attempting to control the ball.
But on the Roar went in pursuit of three points. Four minutes of extra time were added to the 90, and with the clock ticking down to the final whistle Danzaki emerged as the hero for the hosts, dispatching a first-time strike off a lofted Corey Brown through ball past Scott to rattle the net and seal the comeback win Brisbane needed to rise into fifth spot on the A-League table.
Key Moments
The home side had the best of the first-half opportunities, but a resilient Scott in United’s goal ensured scores remained locked at 0-0 at the break.
Wenzel-Halls was denied a headed goal by Scott with 25 minutes on the clock after receiving a pinpoint-accurate cross from Brindell-South; Wenzel-Halls rose to meet the ball and headed low but Scott got a vital leg on the attempt to keep the Brisbane forward out.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6252659326001
Early in the second half, Scott’s heroics continued.
It seemed as though Scott had hit replay when keeping a Wenzel-Halls header out in the 51st minute, keeping another low header from the Roar man out with an outstretched left leg.
The pair had met once already in similar circumstances in the first half, and the result was no different after the break when Scott trumped his opponent with another smart piece of footwork.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6252662303001
After Scott kept his side in the contest throughout the first hour of play, his attacking teammates set about alleviating the pressure on his shoulders by taking the lead through Wales in the 60th minute.
The United forward emerged from the bench just seconds before, and his impact was immediate. Wales bombed down the left flank while Luke Duzel fed a pass to Alessandro Diamanti turning toward goal on the edge of the box.
Wales curled his run just enough to remain onside and receive the through pass fed into his path on the left-hand side of the box to put the end product on a well-worked team move.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6252662508001
But United’s lead was to last just 12 minutes. Brindell-South put the finish on a chance created from a Parsons strike which Scott failed to wrap up with a low save down to his left.
The United ‘keeper had performed without fault for 70 minutes before crucially spilling Parsons’ strike directly into the path of Brindell-South, who tucked the ball into a vacant net to restore parity at Moreton Daily Stadium.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6252662951001
United set off immediately with the intention of reclaiming their lead on the road, and seemed sure to do so when a Duzel strike sparked mayhem in Brisbane’s defensive box.
The initial strike was blocked, but the rebound sent the ball through a sea of bodies in the box. Besart Berisha saw his two quick-fire strikes deflected before Andrew Durante struck from a tight angle, only for Brown to put a vital head on the ball before it could cross the line.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6252661818001
After surviving United’s frantic attacking push down one end, Brisbane responded down the other end – showing the clinical edge needed to decide a tight contest in Queensland.
Brown provided the crucial goal-line clearance on Durante’s close-range strike, and the Roar full-back who put Danzaki in on goal to score the winner in the final moments.
Danzaki drifted into midfield to receive the initial ball, feeding Brown out wide before darting back behind United’s defensive line. Brown replied with a chipped pass into space for Danzaki to gather, allowing the ball to drop into his path before lashing home the winning goal at the death to seal all three points for Brisbane.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6252666199001
Next Matches
Western Sydney Wanderers v Western United
Saturday, May 8 2021
Venue: Bankwest Stadium
Kick-off: 7.10pm AEST
Broadcast: FOX Sports 505
Stream: MyFootball Live App, Kayo Sports
Match Centre
Melbourne City v Brisbane Roar
Sunday, May 9 2021
Venue: AAMI Park
Kick-off: 4.05pm AEST
Broadcast: FOX Sports 505
Stream: MyFootball Live App, Kayo Sports
Match Centre
