An impressive hat-trick from Besart Berisha has helped Brisbane Roar to a 3-0 win over Melbourne Heart in their first Hyundai A-League test of the pre-season.
An impressive hat-trick from Besart Berisha has helped Brisbane Roar to a 3-0 win over Melbourne Heart in their first Hyundai A-League test of the pre-season.
Head Coach Mike Mulvey opted for a strong starting eleven, which included former skipper and Socceroo Matt McKay making his first appearance since re-joining the club this month.
The 5,132-strong Oakes Oval crowd barely had time to take their seats before they were up on their feet again, celebrating Berisha’s opener.
The midfield trio of Thomas Broich, Liam Miller and McKay combined to tee up striker Berisha just 16 seconds into the contest.
Heart’s Orlando Engelaar lasted just 30 minutes into his Hyundai A-League debut, replaced by Paulo Retre after he clashed with Broich in the middle of the park.
Despite the Roar holding onto the majority of possession and continually heaping pressure on their Melbourne counterparts, the team in orange had to wait until halfway through the second half to double their advantage.
Receiving the ball just inside the penalty area, Berisha beat former teammate and current Heart goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne with a powerful strike into the bottom left corner.
In the 83rd minute, Berisha rose highest to meet a well-placed cross from Broich and the Albanian striker had his hat-trick.
Brisbane Roar 3 (Besart BERISHA 1′, 66′,83′)
Melbourne Heart 0
