Second-half strikes from George Lambadaridis and Do Dong-Hyun secured a comeback 2-1 win for Brisbane Roar in Saturday’s National Youth League season-opener against Perth Glory.
Second-half strikes from George Lambadaridis and Do Dong-Hyun secured a comeback 2-1 win for Brisbane Roar in Saturday’s National Youth League season-opener against Perth Glory.
A bizarre own goal from the otherwise impressive James Donachie gifted Glory an early lead at Inglewood’s Intiga Stadium, before Roar deservedly levelled through Lambadaridis’ deflected free-kick and Do’s fine individual effort duly sealed the points seven minutes from time.
Donachie’s moment of madness came in the 10th minute when he attempted what should have been a regulation back-pass to goalkeeper Nicholas Tubbs, but got his angles all wrong and ended up rolling the ball into the far corner of the net.
To their credit, however, the Queenslanders responded well to the early blow and carved out the better chances as the first half wore on.
Keen to move the ball out wide to Korean import Do and the lively Kwame Yeboah, Roar asked plenty of questions of the Glory backline and kept home goalkeeper Devon Spence on his toes.
Spence foiled Yeboah with his legs on 16 minutes and then stood his ground well just before the break when Yeboah carved out the best opportunity of the opening period. Cutting in from the right, he teed up Kenneth Dougall whose initial shot struck the foot of the post before Spence parried his follow-up effort at the expense of a corner.
Despite the hot conditions and bumpy surface, both sides continued to try and get the ball down and play and as the game became more stretched after the break, the chances began to flow at either end.
Firstly Glory’s Moses Kalau saw his fierce shot kept out by Tubbs, then moments later Borbor Sam wasted a great opportunity to double the home side’s advantage when he was sent clean through on goal by Brandon O’Neill only to fire wastefully wide from just inside the box.
Having survived those early scares, Roar lifted their game and both Ross Archibald and Anthony Proia went close to finding the net before Lambadaridis finally restored parity with just under 20 minutes to go.
The midfielder’s 25-metre free-kick clipped the top of the wall and the deflection was enough to deceive Spence who went one way while the ball cannoned into the opposite corner.
Spence then produced two fine saves to deny Lambadaridis and Do in quick succession as the visitors finished the stronger, but he was helpless seven minutes from time when the impressive Korean weaved his way past several defenders on his way into the box and calmly found the bottom corner.
