The irrepressible Brisbane Roar have extended their record-breaking unbeaten streak to 14 games in the Hyundai A-League after claiming a convincing 5-1 victory over Central Coast Mariners at Bluetongue Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The damage was done early in the first half with Jean Carlos Solorzano bagging a brace and Mitch Nichols adding a third inside the first 25 minutes. The Roar never looked troubled as they cruised to victory away from home, playing some scintillating attacking football along the way.
Mariners substitute Adam Kwasnik pulled a goal back in the second stanza but it was not enough to stop the Roar juggernaut from rolling on, with a late goal to Reinaldo and an own goal by Alex Wilkinson finishing the demolition.
Indeed Brisbane have never lost a Hyundai A-League match in Gosford, and it only took eight minutes for the visitors to open their account, with Solorzano making his first contribution of a brilliant individual display.
Ivan Franjic delivered a wicked low cross from the right only for Nichols to blast his shot straight at goalkeeper Matt Ryan. Solorzano was on hand to tap-in the rebound.
Two minutes later and the Costa Rican striker had his second. This time the move was created by German playmaker Thomas Broich, who went on a mazy run before attracting the attention of the Mariners’ two central defenders before laying off an intelligent square ball on the edge of the box.
Solórzano made no mistake when presented with the opportunity from 20 yards, slamming home a fierce right-footed strike into the bottom corner of the net.
The Mariners battled hard to their credit, and almost found a way back into the match through Matt Simon. The lanky striker got on the end of a neat ball over the top from skipper Wilkinson, but unfortunately for the home side, blazed his volley over the bar.
But the Mariners’ hopes were all but dashed just moments later when Nichols claimed a goal of his own after playing a clever one-two down the right flank with Kosta Barbarouses. The 21-year-old calmly slotted his first-time strike past the helpless Ryan.
Central Coast coach Graham Arnold reacted to his team’s lack of chances in front of goal in the first half by bringing on strikers Kwasnik and Daniel McBreen.
The former made an immediate impact by pulling a goal back in the 50th minute. Another ball over the top from Wilkinson opened the Roar defence, and Kwasnik did well to score after cutting back on his left foot.
However, controversy surrounded the goal as midfielder Oliver Bozanic, standing in an offside position, arguably denied Theoklitos the opportunity to save the strike.
It would prove to be only a consolation goal, though, as the Roar would ease to victory, claiming further goals in the final minutes of the game.
Striker Reinaldo, who came on midway through the half for Solorzano, tapped in easily from close range after Broich’s strike in the 87th minute was parried away by Ryan.
And an own goal to Wilkinson in the final minute of the game, followed by a red card to McBreen in injury time, added to the home side’s woes.
The impressive victory sees the Roar move to 40 competition points, 6 ahead of Adelaide United in second spot, though the South Australians do hold two games in hand. The Mariners, meanwhile, remain in fourth place on the Hyundai A-League ladder but without a win in their last five outings.
Central Coast: 1 (Kwasnik 50′)
Brisbane Roar: 5 (Solorzano 8’/10′, Nichols 24′, Reinaldo 87′, Wilkinson 89’o.g.)
Crowd: 5,858 @ Bluetongue Stadium.
