Rainy conditions couldn’t dampen the spectacle for fans as the Brisbane Roar overcame a spirited AIS team 4-2 in their National Youth League clash this afternoon.
A waterlogged pitch may have delayed kick-off by 30 minutes at Goodwin Park but the rainy conditions couldn’t dampen the spectacle for fans as the Brisbane Roar overcame a spirited AIS team 4-2 in their National Youth League clash.
Early goals from Benjamin Liftin and Do Dong Hyun for the Roar were cancelled out by efforts from the Institute’s Alexander Gersbach and Scott Galloway, but Brisbane took the advantage into the break as Anthony Proia scored in the shadows of half-time before Kenneth Dougall sealed an entertaining match in the second half.
In the early stages, the Roar seemed to be coping better with the super slow pitch while the AIS lost possession on several occasions due to the ball simply stopping dead as the home side kept their passing simple.
As the rain intensified, the AIS were too tentative in possession, giving the ball away twice just outside of their own area.
The Roar’s nifty number nine, Liftin, was in no mood to forgive such sloppiness, though, picking up the loose ball before sliding it past Jordan Thurtell to give Brisbane the lead after 20 minutes.
After conceding, the AIS upped their attacking intensity, and three minutes later, some deft build-up play down the right saw Gersbach arrive late in the box to head down powerfully enough into the sodden pitch to beat Fraser Chalmers in the Roar goal.
Just three minutes later Brisbane were back in front as lively South Korean left back Hyun curled in what was probably meant to be a cross from way out on the left. Amazingly, the ball ended up in the back of the AIS net after Thurtell let it slip through his fingers.
Once again, the AIS upped the ante. Bright Appiah put pressure on the Roar’s big central defender, James Donachie, who allowed himself to be stripped of possession. Appiah raced through to find himself one-on-one with Chalmers, but shot well over.
The action never stopped in a frantic half of football. After 33 minutes, Hyun continued to torment the AIS goalkeeper by dancing past defenders in the danger area, but this time Thurtell managed to push his effort away.
Down the other end, a seemingly innocuous challenge from Roar goalscorer Liftin in his own box saw referee Ashley Stout point to the spot allowing Scott Galloway to belt the penalty home on 35 minutes and level the scores once again.
The action only became more frenetic as the half wore on. The goalkeepers at either end were both called into action before the Roar took the lead for the third time.
Hyun caught Thurtell in two minds and as the ‘keeper advanced he was easily rounded by the South Korean, who crossed to Proia for a simple finish.
Brisbane showed early in the second half that they were not about to sit on their slender lead.
Kwame Yeboah forced a spillage from the AIS keeper with a shot/cross not dissimilar to Hyun’s in the first half.
And the Roar finally managed to extend their lead from the spot as a brilliantly weighted ball from Hyun, who had switched to the right, released Yeboah who was brought down in the box by Jeremy Tshongo. Dougall converted to give the Roar some breathing space.
This was the goal that well and truly put the brakes on AIS’s momentum, and for the rest of the half there was barely a chance for the visitors. The Roar continued to apply pressure, with Liftin sneaking behind the defence after a free kick to volley over after in the 68th minute.
When the AIS’s midfield engine Joshua Barresi was sent off 30 minutes into the second half for a foul on Ross Archibald, the match was over as a contest.
Energetic Roar substitute Patrick Theodore set up Yeboah, nine minutes before the end, but the big number 10 could only fire over.
Brisbane Roar 4 (Benjamin Liftin 20, Do Dong Hyun 26, Anthony Proia 45, Kenneth Dougall 51 pk)
AIS 2 (Alexander Gersbach 23, Scott Galloway 35 pk)
Brisbane Roar: 2. James Donachie, 3. Cameron Crestani (7. Patrick Theodore 61), 5. Alexander Schiavo (18. Sam Cronin 51), 6. Ross Archibald (c), 8. Yuji Takahashi, 9.Benjamin Liftin, 10. Kwame Yeboah, 11. Anthony Proia (4. Lachlan Jackson 61), 12. Do Dong Hyun, 13. Kenneth Dougall, 20. Fraser Chalmers (gk)
AIS: 1. Jordan Thurtell (gk), 2. Darcy Madden (6. Matthew Ntoumenopulos 53), 4. Matthew Schmidt (21. Dylan Pickert 57), 8. Joshua Barresi (red card 75), 9. Todd Norris, 13. Jeremy Tshongo, 14. Jack Iredale (5. Ben Warland 58), 15. Scott Galloway (c), 18. Alexander Gersbach, 19. Bright Appiah, 22. Liam Rose
