Adelaide United have leapfrogged Brisbane Roar into fifth place on the National Youth League ladder with a hard-earned 1-0 win at Spencer Park.
The Roar looked to be the dominant side throughout the contest, but an inability to convert a series of opportunities saw them fall to their second defeat at home in four days, with Liam Wooding’s breakaway goal in the 23rd minute being the difference.
Hyundai A-League star Henrique was electrifying in the opening half for Brisbane, in which the hosts did everything but find the net.
Nicholas Munro was never fully extended in the United goal box, but showed great concentration and composure to withstand a constant stream of Roar attacks.
Matthew Halliday was another integral part of the Adelaide defence, showing great awareness and pace to limit the influence of Rocky Visconte on Brisbane’s right.
Fielding a side laden with Hyundai A-League contracted talent, the Roar made a fast start, passing aggressively in attack to draw a free kick and a corner within the opening five minutes as the visitors were forced into some desperate defence.
Making his first start in the National Youth League in a bid to gain match fitness ahead of the finals, Henrique appeared unstoppable, as he beat defenders at will and put Munroe under immense pressure with a series of driving runs inside the area.
Wooding and Brett Rayner were combining well for Adelaide up front, but their opportunities in the opening stages were limited, as the Roar’s dominance of the possession and field position continued unabated.
The intense and highly composed start from Brisbane couldn’t have been in greater contrast to their non-effort against the Central Coast Mariners earlier in the week, but after 23 minutes they found themselves trailing once again.
After Rayner first beat Andrew Redmayne with a shot that cannoned off the under-side of the cross bar, Wooding scored the opening goal just moments later, creating space outside the area and finding the net with a powerful left-foot shot.
On his next possession, Woodley was brought down hard by a strong Matthew Byrne tackle, which earned the Brisbane defender a yellow card.
Adelaide United skipper Matthew Mullen showed the visitors would match fire with fire soon after, picking up his team’s first yellow card, for a similarly aggressive tackle on Henrique.
Brisbane rolled the ball wide to Henrique on the right in the 35th minute, hoping for some magic and the slippery midfielder did his best to oblige, slicing into the 18-yard-box yet again and teeing Josh Groenewald up for a close-range shot that sailed just high.
Groenewald and Henrique kept up the assault on Munroe, firing in pair of searching long-range shots, but the United keeper held strong, ensuring his side took a lead into the sheds at half-time.
Brisbane returned from the half-time interval without Henrique, but they continued to push hard for the equalising goal, stretching the Adelaide defence thin with a fast passing attack.
Alistair Quinn picked up a yellow card in a last-ditch slide tackle as Adelaide broke away, and then recommitted just minutes later in an unnecessary challenge, earning his second yellow and leaving his side a player short.
Referee Jason Crow showed his seventh yellow card of the game to Joshua McVey for dissent at around the hour mark, as the Roar players began to show an increasing frustration with their inability to turn possession into points.
The Roar’s whole-hearted pursuit of an equalising goal was beginning to open the way for Adelaide and as time ticked down the opportunities began to flow for both sides.
Evan Kostopoulos was almost the benefactor of a United breakaway attack, and then Matthew Thurtell unleashed Munro, but on both occasions the goalkeepers were more than good enough to diffuse firm but inaccurate final touches.
Former Roar Youth captain Luke Brattan missed an unmarked chance at the top of the area in the dying minutes and then Visconte compounded the misery for the hosts when he ran onto a cross and drove straight into Munro with his point-blank shot.
Brisbane Roar 0
Adelaide United 1 (Wooding 23)
