A first half penalty by Luke Bratten was enough to send the Queensland Roar National Youth League side back into the competition’s top two through a 1-0 victory over the Perth Glory at BGC Stadium.
After both sides created several quality opportunities to score during the first half, Glory defender Steven Hesketh dragged down Timothy Smits on the edge of the area, with Bratten converting the spot kick just before half-time.
The Glory upped their intensity and created the better chances throughout the second half, but the hosts struggled to find a clinical edge in front of goal before coming close to equalising during injury time, Dean Evans forcing a full-length save from Roar stopper Matthew Acton.
The result sees Queensland leapfrog Adelaide United into second position on the National Youth League standings as the Glory maintains fourth.
In an end to end first half, the Glory controlled the majority of possession but Queensland created the more promising chances, particularly in the first half hour.
Perth’s Cameron Edwards almost opened the scoring in the fifth minute, his curling cross swinging in towards goal and forcing Acton into a fingertip save around the post.
The Roar countered immediately and Smits was unlucky not get on the scoresheet, the striker taking too long to control dead in front and seeing his shot well blocked by Ryan Pearson.
Pearson was one of the prime movers for the Glory, the left back getting plenty of possession in tandem with midfielder Hayden Doyle, while Josh McVey was on hand to counter effectively down the right for Queensland, providing numerous crosses to the lurking Smits.
In the ninth minute McVey squandered Queensland’s best opportunity to that point, firing a low shot wide of the right post with the goal at his mercy.
Throughout the first 30 minutes, the Glory looked dangerous but the hosts either fired over the bar or sent their shots directly at Acton, with Howard Fondyke struggling to hit the target despite getting into good scoring positions.
Perth paid for its missed chances six minutes before the break after defender Hesketh fouled Smits on the edge of the area, allowing Bratten to confidently stroke the penalty past Glory goalkeeper Dejan Aleksic.
Fondyke’s unfortunate run continued leading up to the interval, the midfielder seeing two powerful efforts cannoning off the defence, while Doyle sent a ripping free kick from 35 metres narrowly past the post.
The Glory’s lack of a clinical edge continued to haunt them in the second half. In the 54th minute a good ball from Edwards set up Pearson on the left, the defender accelerating into goal but sending his cracking shot over the bar.
Seven minutes later Ludovic Boi produced a terrific run down the right, the terrier-like 17-year-old cutting inside three defenders and firing a low effort centimetres wide of the post.
Eighteen minutes from time Adam Sarota’s free kick for Queensland from 20 metres forced a good save from reserve Glory goalkeeper Alex Pearson after Perth defender Lewis Hall was cautioned for fouling Roar substitute William Tumusiime.
But having taken the lead, Queensland was content to soak up the pressure during the latter stages of the half, maintaining possession in defence and midfield and passing the ball around with ease.
There was still time for drama during added time however, as a powerful, curling effort from Perth’s Evans 20 metres out was athletically tipped around the post by Acton before Glory substitute James Sammut was dismissed for a poor foul in the dying minutes.
Match Details
Perth Glory 0
Queensland Roar 1 (Luke Brattan 38)
BGC Stadium at Dorrien Gardens, Perth
Saturday 7 February 2009
Referee: David Costello
Assistant Referees: Josh Mihevc, Tim Mihevc
Fourth Official: Trent Fleskens
Perth Glory line-up: 1.Dejan ALEKSIC (gk) (40.Alex PEARSON (gk) 60-), 2.Ryan PEARSON, 3.Steven HESKETH, 4.Josh RISDON (5.Lewis HALL 60-), 6.Dean EVANS, 8.Howard FONDYKE (10.Adam LUCA 60-), 9.Hayden DOYLE, 11.Ludovic BOI, 12.Reece VITTIGLIA, 13.Andrija JUKIC, 14.Cameron EDWARDS (7.James SAMMUT 55-)
Substitutes not used: Nil
Yellow cards: Lewis Hall 70-, Andrija Jukic 71-
Red Cards: James Sammut 90-+2
Queensland Roar line-up: 1.Matt ACTON (gk), 4.Matt MUNDY (6.William TUMUSIIME 60-), 5.Brad McDONALD (3.Daniel BOWLES 58-), 7.Adam SAROTA, 9.Tim SMITS (OA), 10.Luke BRATTAN (12.Robbie KRUSE 72-), 11.Josh McVEY, 12.Robbie KRUSE (2.Michael RYAN 55-), 13.Chris GROSSMAN, 15.Luke DE VERE, 16.Ben GRIFFIN (OA)
Substitutes not used: Nil
Yellow cards: Chris Grossman 47-, Robbie Kruse 90-+2
Red Cards: Nil
