An Isaka Cernak double has inspired the Queenland Roar to a 2-0 win in their round 18 National Youth League clash at the AIS Athletics Track.
In a battle of the league-s bottom two teams, it was the Roar who impressed in a dominant display of speed and strength.
Cernak got the Roar off to the perfect start with a brilliant individual effort in the 13th minute.
He got the ball in his defensive half, worked it up the park before combining with Timothy Smits to get around the diving AIS keeper Aaron Lennox and put it in an open goal.
Both teams had chances go begging in the first half, first Eli Babalj hit the woodwork for the AIS from close range, before a long range Smits bullet in the 26th minute careered into the crossbar.
The Roar were unlucky not to go further ahead in the 36th minute. Firstly a courageous Lennox dove at the feet of Kenneth Dougal close to goal, only to have the ball fall to Antony Schiavo who shot wide of the open goal.
The AIS struggled to penetrate the Roar defence, trying in vain to use the aerial route while the Roar worked the ball, aided by the experience of three over-age players.
The Roar started the second half searching for their second goal and it didn-t take long before they had it.
Cernak was on the end of a great long ball from Luke Bratten, got around two defenders with ease and put it past Lennox who had little chance of saving the shot.
Smits was in the thick of it as Queensland kept attacking, firstly turning and shooting which forced a top save by Lennox in the 64th minute and nearly setting up a goal seconds later.
The AIS had a goal ruled offside by the linesman in the 68th minute, after a long range Marc Warren shot wasn-t contained by Roar keeper Matt Ham and Terry Antonis put it into the back of the net.
The game finished in a flurry, a 73rd minute a curling Stefan Vrbesic free kick box hit the crossbar just outside the 18 yard and Babalj missed to the left when one-on-one with Ham in the 79th minute.
Queensland 2 (Cernak 13, 55)
AIS 0
At AIS Athletics Track
