Queensland Roar have brought an end to Newcastle’s A-League dominance at Suncorp Stadium in thrilling fashion, with a 90th minute goal from Sergio van Dijk securing the home side a 2-1 win over the Jets on Sunday night.
Mitch Nichols scored with the last play of the first half to cancel out Joel Griffiths’ 26th minute strike and set the game up for a dramatic finish as the free-flowing contest heated up during a sizzling second stanza.
The Roar’s chances of securing a winner were boosted in the 70th minute when Jobe Wheelhouse was handed his marching orders after receiving his second yellow of the game for a challenge on Tahj Minniecon.
The home side continued to attack ruthlessly and a 10-man Jets were very lucky not to concede in the 87th minute when both Danny Tiatto and then Michael Zullo rattled the woodwork in a frantic minute of football.
The Roar were not to be denied and an excellent cross from Tiatto found an airborne van Dijk who slammed home the winner to send the crowd of 11,408 into a frenzy as Queensland climbed to third position on the table.
In all five previous meetings between the two sides in Brisbane, the visitors had come away with all three points, but a strong performance from the home side saw that record come to an end.
Roar coach Frank Farina was ‘very pleased’ with the result.
“I thought we played well tonight, particularly in the last 60 minutes, for the first 30 we looked a bit flat and second to the ball and we weren’t creating much,” Farina said.
“Credit to the players that they kept coming, we most probably got our just rewards.”
Newcastle coach Gary van Egmond lamented his side’s inability to capitalise on scoring the first goal of the night.
“You got to make your own luck, you go 1-0 up, that should inspire you and give you more confidence…unfortunately the reverse tends to happen for us, we tend to go into our shell and try and protect that lead,” van Egmond said.
“We knew they were going to come quite hard and we get a player sent off, so that obviously makes it even more difficult, realistically then you’re trying to hang on for a point and looking to play on the counter.”
Earlier, Griffiths continued his incredible form against the Roar, latching onto a great pass from Wheelhouse to grab the opening goal and see the Jets take an early lead.
In his return from a two-week suspension, Griffiths effortlessly lobbed the ball past Roar keeper Liam Reddy in the 26th minute to make it eight consecutive matches that he has scored against Queensland.
The home side struggled for fluency after the goal and a frustrated Tiatto soon saw yellow for a challenge on James Holland.
The caution was Tiatto’s fifth for the season, meaning the enforcer will be slapped with a one-match suspension.
Queensland coach Frank Farina looked to shake things up and brought on youngster Mitch Nichols for defender Andrew Packer in the 36th minute, shifting from a 4-3-3 formation to a 3-4-3.
The move proved to be a masterstroke, with Nichols firing just wide in the 43rd minute before he made the most of a Matt McKay cross, with a diving header squaring the game up during extra time.
The Roar were without playmaker Charlie Miller, who was a late withdrawal from the match after succumbing to a double hernia, but found a more than competent replacement in substitute Nichols.
The game opened up more in a second half that had it all.
There was a bicycle kick from Nichols which failed to trouble Jets keeper Ante Covic, the debut of Tommy Oar who was energetic up front for the Roar after entering the fray during the 73rd minute.
Griffiths had two great opportunities to grab a brace in the 55th minute, a fine solo-effort saw him creep around Reddy, only for his shot to be well blocked by Craig Moore before Massimo Murdocca was forced to clear off the line.
Queensland Roar 2 (Nichols 45′, van Dijk 90′)
Newcastle Jets 1 (Griffiths 26′)
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Crowd: 11, 408
Sunday 14 December 2008
Referee: Ben Williams
