Robert Cornthwaite has completed a week to remember in Brisbane, heading home the winner in Adelaide United’s 1-0 victory over Queensland in front of 11, 117 fans at Suncorp Stadium.
Cornthwaite was called up to the Socceroos squad for Wednesday night’s World Cup qualifier against Qatar, and while he did not make coach Pim Verbeek’s final cut, the defender would have had Reds fans grinning after his 60th minute effort.
The Roar looked to have equalised just minutes later through Matt McKay, who headed truly past debutant Reds custodian Mark Birighitti, but the referee’s assistant ruled him offside.
The decision would have been all the more frustrating for Roar players after replays suggested Cristiano, who set up Cornthwaite’s goal with a deft header, may well have been offside.
But it was lackadaisical defending from Andrew Packer and Josh McCloughan, who both had opportunities to clear the ball after Cristiano’s touch, that allowed Cornthwaite to launch.
It proved to be the winner in a game that only came to life after half-time.
Reds coach Aurelio Vidmar cherished the win away from home.
“We wanted to take the three points and it’s never easy coming here, Round 2 we struggled here, and they were probably a little bit below par as well I thought tonight, but still they are always a very dangerous side,” he said.
A disappointed Roar coach Frank Farina was keeping positive after the match.
“I’m looking forward to getting back home again, you go through these different times but you can’t sulk about it, you’ve got to get back up, next week is another big game, another three points on offer,” Farina said.
After a relatively listless first half, where the few chances on hand for both sides were wasted, the second stanza started in frenetic fashion when youngster Birighitti, in goals for the Reds in place of an injured Eugene Galekovic, proved his worth.
With Roar striker Reinaldo bearing down, a charging Birighitti, who had previously been largely untested by a misfiring Roar side, was able to clean up a loose ball in the box.
The home side continued to have their fair share of chances in the game, particularly after Cornthwaite’s goal, but could not mount a serious assault on the goal.
Charlie Miller, attempting to play through the pain of a hernia, sent an early scare through the Roar camp when he went down gingerly in the fourth minute.
Miller was able to recover, but lacked his trademark creative spark, and was substituted in the 79th minute with a yellow card for a jarring tackle on Fabian Barbiero in the 33rd minute his biggest impact on the game.
The Reds will immediately turn their attention to Wednesday night’s Asian Champions League semi-final in Tashkent, with Galekovic’s strained abductor the only injury concern for Adelaide apart from an ill Diego.
The Reds now jump into second position on the ladder and trail league-leaders Melbourne Victory only by goal difference.
Match Details
Queensland Roar 0
Adelaide United 1 (Robert Cornthwaite 60′)
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Crowd: 11, 117
Friday 17 October 2008
Referee: Mark Shield
