Brisbane Roar captain Matt Smith hailed the triumphant return of fan favourite Matt McKay, who was instrumental in his side’s emphatic 4-0 win over Sydney FC.
Brisbane Roar captain Matt Smith hailed the triumphant return of fan favourite Matt McKay, who was instrumental in his side’s emphatic 4-0 win over Sydney FC on Saturday night.
Socceroo McKay, who captained the Roar to their first title in 2010/11 before a move overseas, showed on his return that he still has plenty to give the side by pulling the strings in midfield in the demolition of the Sky Blues.
Coach Mike Mulvey, meanwhile, said the breakthrough for the first goal, scored by Smith from a set piece, was crucial in allowing the Roar to control the match, especially after star striker Besart Berisha was forced to leave the field with a hamstring tweak.
Frank Farina’s side showed their intentions were to annul the slick passing game of the Roar by sitting back and defending deep, but his plan became unstuck when Broich’s perfectly placed free kick was nodded in by Smith.
Brisbane scored again moments later, again from a set piece, as Henrique scrambled the ball into the net following a short corner, and Jade North added a third before half time.
Broich completed the rout 10 minutes from time after Brisbane had dominated play in the second period.
Smith spoke to reporters after the game about the lift McKay’s return had given the team.
“(It’s) fantastic. He’s a Brisbane boy, he’s a Queensland lad,” he said.
“He’s a legend of this club so I for one am very pleased that he’s decided to come home.
“And it just goes to show tonight that composure on the ball, I think that really settled us down tonight.
“There are still things we need to work on, but just having that coolness in there, and his experience is definitely going to give us some good strength.”
Mulvey said Smith’s goal was key in opening up the game.
“That first goal was vital. Absolutely vital,” he said.
“Because when you play a team that just decides to sit back and absorb and play on the counter, you need to break the shackles, and thankfully Matty stepped up and answered the call.”
The Roar manager said he believes Berisha’s injury to be relatively minor.
“I’ve just spoken to him now, he’s disappointed.
“He’s a proud man and he was very disappointed to come off.
“He’s had a fantastic pre-season, he’s in probably the best shape of his life and I think that’s going to play a really big part in his recovery, which we expect to be no more than one week.”
