Brisbane Roar sharpshooter Jamie Maclaren has revealed the half-time motivation which sparked his side’s stunning three-goal turnaround against Wellington Phoenix on Sunday.
The hosts scored three goals in 16 second-half minutes to turn a 3-1 deficit into a stunning 4-3 victory at Suncorp Stadium.
Roar win seven-goal thriller against Phoenix
Catch up with all the action at our match centre here
Maclaren, who scored Roar’s third, said they were determined to send a warning to potential Finals Series opponents.
“We said at half-time teams are going to see, even if they’re in front at Suncorp, it’s going to be hard [to beat us],” Maclaren told Fox Sports.
“It’s good character from the boys and I’m proud of them.”
Maclaren’s second-half equaliser elevated his season tally to 19 goals, enough to share the Golden Boot with Besart Berisha.
While that marked his 50th Hyundai A-League goal, the 23-year-old missed a chance to become the season’s outright leading scorer with a failed penalty attempt in the 76th minute.
“Obviously I’m disappointed personally. I should have buried the penalty,” the Roar striker said.
“I’ve scored five [from the spot this season] and the penalty wasn’t good enough.
“It’s been a good season for me overall but for the boys it’s great to get the result and next week is important.”
