As the Hyundai A-League season continues to draw closer we take a look at this weekend’s friendly matches.
As the Hyundai A-League season continues to draw closer we take a look at this weekend-s friendly matches.
Football returned to the far north as Brisbane Roar convincingly defeated Sydney FC 4-1.
With just under 5,000 fans watching on in Cairns the Roar were on the attack from the outset and scored a goal in the first minute with Kwame Yeboah getting the opener.
Soon after Chris Brown doubled the Roar-s advantage with a goal on nine minutes as he beat Ivan Necevski from a tight angle with the ball ricocheting off the far post before finding the back of the net as Brisbane had an early 2-0 lead.
Opportunities were exchanged at either end and the Roar thought they had a third but an own goal from Sydney FC was disallowed due to offside and the teams went into the sheds at halftime with the score remaining at 2-0.
It was more of the same early in the second half as Shane Stefanutto put in a cross that found Besart Berisha who made no mistake to get his name on the score sheet before Yeboah had his brace soon after as the 19-year-old forward scored off a cross from Brown to give the Roar a 4-0 lead.
Joel Chianese got a consolation goal for the Sky Blues in the 71st minute but it was no doubt the Roar-s day as they claimed the 4-1 win.
The Wanderers entertained Adelaide United in Sydney-s west as Penrith-s Centrebet Stadium saw last year-s Premiers Plate winners and the Reds finish even at 1-1.
The home side claimed the early lead when Tahj Minnecon put in a cross to force an own goal from Nigel Boogaard as the Wanderers went ahead 1-0.
Both sides continued to create chances with Wanderers keeper Ante Covic pulling off a great diving save to keep his side ahead as he palmed new Reds signing Sergio Cirlo-s shot away.
The Wanderers thought they-d got another close to half-time as Tomi Juric headed home but the goal was called back due to a push in the box, with the sides eventually heading to the break with the Wanderers holding a 1-0 lead.
Adelaide soon had their equaliser when play resumed as a mix up between Covic and Michael Beauchamp saw the ball fall to Cirlo as the new recruit got the goal and his side back in the match at 1-1.
As both teams began to bring on a host of substitutes neither could get the go-ahead goal as Aaron Mooy put the ball just wide with one of the best chances of the second half.
The match finished level at 1-1 and showed that two of last year-s finalists will again be difficult to break down in the 2013/14 season.
