Adelaide United have held on for a 1-1 draw against Brisbane Roar, who recovered from a woeful start to make a fast finish at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Adelaide United have held on for a 1-1 draw against Brisbane Roar, who recovered from a woeful start to make a fast finish at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
United took the lead in the 15th minute and were rarely challenged in defence before the defending Hyundai A-League champions equalised in the 69th and did everything within their power to claim the win in the final 20 minutes.
In a contest between second place and second last on the Hyundai A-League ladder, for the majority it was the underdog visitors who were able to impose their will, strangling the spaces and frustrating the defending champions with a congested defence.
United were first on the board with an end-to-end counter-attack flowing through Dario Vidosic, out to Bruce Djite on the right flank and then across the face of goal for Iain Ramsay to blast past Michael Theoklitos.
Besart Berisha scored the leveler for his 18th goal of the season, taking a great cross from substitute Kofi Danning, after the Roar were gifted the ball from a Zenon Caravella turnover.
Summing up Brisbane’s afternoon, top midfielder Thomas Broich played one of his worst-ever games for the club, twice missing the target from unmarked opportunities in the area, and having two soft shots cleared off the line by Antony Golec with the win up for grabs.
Adding to Brisbane’s poor afternoon was the loss of young talents Luke Brattan and Rocky Visconte, who were both stretchered from the field.
Brattan left midway through the first half after twisting his knee in a leaping challenge, while Visconte was brought down in the penalty area in the final 10 with studs to the ankle. Initial reports suggested both injuries were serious, with scans to follow on Monday.
Brisbane had started with cohesion, but United’s opener appeared to suck the wind from the hosts, ending a run of of corners, free-kicks and slick one-touch passing.
Vidosic had a prime opportunity to double the lead with 10 minutes to play in the half, but after taking a rebound from the defence to go one-on-one with the keeper he powered his right-foot strike wide of the target.
Brisbane re-found some of their form in the final stages of the half, creating goal-mouth opportunities for Berisha and Broich in injury time.
Caravella had a great chance at the beginning of the second, but couldn’t work it past the keeper with a half-volleyed lash from a 45-degree angle.
Brisbane’s Issey Nakajima-Farran then tested the keeper with a powerful right-foot shot with 30 minutes remaining, but Mark Birighitti was equal to the attempt, parrying away to clear the danger.
Brisbane had chances to take the lead after their late equaliser, finishing with a rush of form as the tiring United, who made a trip to Uzbekistan through the week, were forced all the way onto the back foot in defence.
Brisbane 1 (Berisha 70)
Adelaide 1 (Ramsay 14)
Crowd: 10739 at Suncorp Stadium
Hyundai Motor Company Australia and Brisbane Roar were delighted to lend a helping hand to Taringa Rovers Soccer Football Club with a grant of $2000 as part of the Goals for Grassroots program. For more information on the program, visit www.goalsforgrassroots.com.au
