Gold Coast United and Brisbane Roar have been forced to settle for a 2-2 draw in an entertaining National Youth League Queensland derby at Goodwin Park on Friday that could only be described as a game of two completely different halves.
Gold Coast started the game in irrepressible fashion and striker Andrew Barisic stunned the hosts after grabbing a brace in the first eight minutes.
Barisic continued to run amok early on and went close to a first-half hat-trick on a few occasions, but his efforts were matched in the second stanza by Roar talisman Josh McVey.
McVey put his side on the scoreboard in the 53rd minute before setting-up Jordan Farina for the equaliser in the 77th.
The visitors were dominant in the first half, keeping the Roar to just a handful of chances – while Barisic, Matt Osman and Chris Harold looked likely at the other end of the park.
United keeper Jerrad Tyson had seen very little action prior to half-time, but that changed promptly when the Roar produced a stunning turnaround in form.
McVey beat the offside trap and danced around Tyson – who had trotted out to the cusp of his box.
McVey’s celebrations were temporally put on ice when United defender Ben Wearing attempted an audacious sliding clearance off the line, but referee Alan Milliner ruled the ball had dribbled over the line.
Wearing came off worse for wear after clattering into the net, while the Roar continued to press and were unlucky not to have an equaliser in the 70th minute when a wayward Zach Anderson back-pass was intercepted by McVey.
The 18-year-old was able to find team-mate Kenneth Dougall in the box, but Gold Coast defender Steven Topalovic applied just enough pressure to keep the hosts out.
Brisbane finally leveled the scores when McVey provided a pinpoint cross for Farina.
Both sides searched desperately for a winner and both went tantalisingly close in the dying stages.
Mitchell Bevan fired wide for the visitors, while Farina failed to finish clinically after a flurry in the box.
Earlier United nabbed the lead in just the fifth minute when Barisic made the most of an excellent through-ball from Koh Satake, and a costly error from indecisive Roar keeper Luke Muir.
Muir was in two minds as to whether or not to stay in his box, or advance and harass Barisic, but by the time he stumbled in the process, Barisic had sent the ball whistling into the back of the net with ease.
The 23-year-old then made it two goals in three minutes in impressive fashion – taking clean possession from Roar skipper Daniel Bowles with a sliding tackle, Barisic then unleashed a searing strike that deflected off Muir for another goal.
Hyundai A-League veteran Andrew Packer was substituted from the ground after a solid half of football and collected a yellow card in the 45th minute in his return from an adductor injury.
National Youth League
Brisbane Roar 2 (McVey 53, Farina 77)
Gold Coast United 2 (Barisic 5, 8)
