A-League: Brisbane Roar pair Scott McDonald and Jay O’Shea open accounts to shut down Wanderers
A Scott McDonald brace has helped Brisbane Roar consolidate a top-six berth and that can be further enhanced in their next assignment when they meet the battling Central Coast Mariners.
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Scott McDonald and Jay O’Shea opened up their Brisbane accounts as the Roar took a significant step towards the A-League finals with a 3-1 win over Western Sydney Wanderers at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
The win moved the Roar, temporarily at least into fifth spot on the ladder, and moved them five points clear of the Wanderers, who had been enjoying a mini-revival under coach Jean-Paul de Marigny.
Former Socceroos marksman McDonald, who hadn’t scored since moving to the Roar in January from Western United, netted a first-half brace to propel Brisbane to a 2-0 halftime lead.
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Wanderers skipper Mitch Duke gave his side hope with his 11th goal of the season in the 54th minute.
But the comeback was snuffed out when Irishman O’Shea scored his first goal in Roar colours in the 72nd minute, converting from the penalty spot after Wanderers defender Matt Jurman fouled the Roar’s Brad Inman.
The Roar can further consolidate a top-six berth when the host cellar dwellers Central Coast Mariners next Friday night.
The Wanderers will be desperate for a win when they meet Melbourne City at AAMI Park next Saturday.
The Roar on Friday night made one change to the team that started in their 1-0 loss to Melbourne City last Sunday.
Midfielder Jacob Pepper, whose deal has been terminated with the Roar to allow him move to an Asian club, was replaced by young gun Mirza Muratovic.
De Marigny made two changes to the team that started in Western Sydney’s 1-0 derby win over Sydney FC, with Mathieu Cordier was called in for the suspended Daniel Georgievski, while Tate Russell came in for the injured Bruce Kamau.
Often criticised for their lack of first-half intensity, the Roar took control of Friday night’s contest from the outset.
Having taken 72 minutes to have a shot last weekend against City, Brisbane took less than two minutes to unleash last night, with Muratovic firing over the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area.
The Roar’s second shot, less than 60 seconds later, put them ahead, with McDonald scoring his first Brisbane goal.
The former Celtic striker pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area after the Wanderers failed to deal with a well-placed O’Shea free-kick.
McDonald’s goal was the Roar’s quickest of the season and just the fourth time they had scored before halftime in the 2019-20 A-League campaign.
Muratovic should have doubled Brisbane’s lead in the 20th minute, but he failed to connect with a Scott Neville cross inside the six-yard box.
McDonald scored his second of the night in the 37th minute to double Brisbane’s lead.
Found at the far post by a Macualay Gillesphey cross that took a slight deflection off Wanderers defender Tate Russell, McDonald slotted the ball home.
VAR intervention was needed after assistant referee Andrew Lindsay incorrectly flagged McDonald for off-side.
If not for the woodwork, the Roar would have led 3-0 at halftime after a 44th minute O’Shea free-kick struck the inside of the post.
The Wanderers dragged themselves back into the contest nine minutes into the second half, with the inspiration provided by captain Mitch Duke.
Quiet in the first-half, Duke stood up Roar skipper Tom Aldred before firing the ball home at the near post.
However, the Roar responded, with O’Shea’s spot kick sealing Brisbane’s eighth win of the season.
Roar coach Robbie Fowler was delighted with the victory.
“We were good value for the win. It was a real dominant, magnificent performance,” Fowler said.
However the Liverpool legend was frustrated with the performance of referee Chris Beath.
The referee didn’t help us,” said Fowler, who was shown a yellow card for dissent for the second week in succession,
“We’re not a dirty team. We’re not getting help from the referees. I thought he was bang average tonight.”
Meanwhile, a disappointed Wanderers coach de Marigny said: “our energy wasn’t there at the start of the game.
“We can’t confuse energy with being flat.
“We got punished by turning the ball over.”
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