John Aloisi asked his players for a display of “Brisbane Roar character” and was delighted with what he received in Saturday’s plucky 2-1 win away to Adelaide United.
The visitors were forced to survive with 10 men for 45 minutes following Matt McKay’s sending off on the stroke of half-time.
But first-half goals from Fahid Ben Khalfallah and Massimo Maccarone proved enough to stave off the Reds, who did pull one back through George Blackwood.
“I can’t be prouder of the boys,” Aloisi said at his post-match press conference.
“I said at half-time, ‘let’s show everyone the Brisbane Roar character’. We’ve done it in the past in coming from behind.
“This was special because everything has been going against us. The boys didn’t let that put them down.
“With the red card just before half-time they made sure they picked themselves up and got on with it.
“There is one thing Brisbane Roar won’t do and that’s give up. These boys will never give in.”
Brisbane’s two goals both came from turnovers deep into the hosts’ territory, which Aloisi acknowledged was part of a pre-match plan.
“We work on quite a few things during the week and one of them was the way we could press [Adelaide] and catch them out in terms of when they play out,” he said.
“Both goals were very good – well-taken from Ben Khalfallah and Maccarone – but it was a good press.”
