Bobô nets Sky Blues a share of the points in 1-1 draw with Roar

Sydney FC striker Bobô scored the first goal of his second coming in the A-League to cancel out Dylan Wenzel-Halls’ opener for Brisbane Roar in an entertaining 1-1 draw at Moreton Daily Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Brisbane looked good for all three points as Jamie Young produced a number of quality saves throughout the opening 70 minutes of play but Bobô made his presence felt off the bench in the second half to level the scores as the Sky Blues avoided a third loss on the bounce.

There were chances aplenty down both ends throughout the first half, with Young and Andrew Redmayne producing contrasting goalkeeping performances which proved the difference at the break.

Young tipped a pair of Sky Blue strikes past either post with diving saves throughout the first half to keep Brisbane’s sheet clean at half-time, while Redmayne’s spill from Wenzel-Halls’ shot from outside of the box gifted the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute of play.

The Sky Blues made two changes at half-time with Jordi Swibel and Bobô replacing Kosta Barbarouses and Patrick Wood, who were unable to capitalise on their chances in the opening period.

But defensive pair Alex Wilkinson and Ryan McGowan took the attacking initiative early in the second half, combining from a corner to call Young into another sensational stop on 51 minutes as the Roar ‘keeper began to look unbeatable in between the sticks.

But with just under 20 minutes to play, the Sky Blues finally broke Young’s resolve. Bobô netted the first goal of his second Sky Blues stint, getting low at the back post to head Joel King’s invading cross from the left flank back across Young and into the bottom left corner to level the scores.

The arrival of Joey Champness off the bench sparked a late flurry of attacks for Brisbane as the hosts attempted to wrestle back the advantage. Champness found Riku Danzaki at the back post, hanging a cross in the air for the Japanese live-wire to attack, but with an open goal at his mercy Danzaki headed off the crossbar in a wasted chance to snatch all three points.

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Key Moments

Sydney FC were on the back foot early when Ryan McGowan’s sliding interception kept Golgol Mebrahtu from connecting with Corey Brown’s dangerous cross off the left flank toward the front post.

The hosts were intent on testing Sydney FC stopper Redmayne early doors and fired two testing efforts in his direction. Wenzel-Halls struck the first attempt from an offside position before Danzaki collected a through pass from Jay O’Shea in the box, taking aim and shooting into Redmayne’s waiting arms.

A weak defensive header by Kai Trewin gave Sky Blues striker Barbarouses his first sight on goal. With Jamie Young coming outside of his box to clear Barbarouses snuck the ball past the Roar goalkeeper, then tried to slip the ball through Tom Aldred’s legs – but the ball got caught underneath the Englishman who did well to defend an open goal.

The hosts pulled ahead 18 minutes into the first half after Redmayne spilled a straightforward stop from a low strike from Wenzel-Halls.

Brown fed the ball to Wenzel-Halls on the tip of the box who turned onto his right boot and shot toward the bottom left corner; Redmayne got his body behind the attempt and looked set to gather an easy save, but the ball spilt between his gloves and squirmed into the back of the net.

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After Redmayne’s blunder cost the Sky Blues parity, Young set about keeping Brisbane’s lead intact down the other end with a series of impressive stops.

The Roar gloveman denied Barbarouses with a routine save after Anthony Caceres had gifted the New Zealand international the great chance in the box.

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Milos Ninkovic tried to beat Young from distance with a curling effort only for Young to tip the ball around the right-hand post, then Patrick Wood forced Young to get low and divert the ball past the opposite upright with a well-hit shot from a tight angle.

Danzaki menaced in Brisbane’s front third, getting past Sky Blues left-back Joel King twice with sharp skill, while Mebrahtu failed to convert two first-half strikes as the Roar took a 1-0 lead into the break.

Swibel and Bobô were on for the second half in place of Barbarouses and Wood but it was Sydney’s defenders who provided the early offensive threat when centre-backs Alex Wilkinson and McGowan combined to call Young into yet another desperate save from a corner routine.

https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6237593174001

Young had performed admirably for 70 minutes in his attempt to keep a clean sheet, but the combination of one dangerous cross from King and a clinical headed finish from Bobô proved exactly what Sydney needed to draw level with the Roar.

King put it on a plate for Bobô at the back post with an early cross struck deep on the left flank. Macaulay Gillesphie leapt at the ball as it sailed across goal but Bobô had read the flight better, getting beneath Gillesphie to arrive at the drop of the ball, heading back past Young to dinf the opposite corner and draw Sydney level.

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Champness emerged from the bench for the Roar and became a handful for the Sky Blues’ defence. The energetic forward drove through midfield to lash a strike over Redmayne’s bar, and was in the thick of the action moments later, trivking his way into the box and floating a cross to Danzaki at the back post, who headed toward an open goal but could only find the crossbar.