Brad Inman scores again but Brisbane Roar forced to share spoils against Melbourne City
Brad Inman scored a brace to lift his tally to four goals in the past three matches but Brisbane Roar couldn’t reward the home crowd with victory as Melbourne City battled back to force a draw.
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Robbie Fowler’s “mean” treatment of Brad Inman continues to work wonders, with the revitalised Roar star netting a brace in Brisbane’s 2-2 draw with Melbourne City.
Inman’s double in front of 10,659 fans at Suncorp Stadium lifted his tally of goals to four in the Roar’s past three matches.
And it could have been five, with the Adelaide product having a stoppage-time chance win the game for the Roar.
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But City goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis stood tall to deny the Brisbane attacking weapon a hat-trick and ensure the visitors grabbed a deserved share of the spoils after twice fighting back from a goal down.
The draw stretched the ninth-placed Roar’s unbeaten run to three matches, however they are yet to win back-to-back games under coach Robbie Fowler.
Second-placed City are 11 points behind leaders Sydney FC, who beat cellar dwellers Newcastle 2-1 on Friday night.
“We probably could have won the game but did we deserve to win it? Probably not,” Fowler said.
“It’s a good point against a very, very good team.
“There’s plenty of positives out of it. That’s three games undefeated, Brad Inman’s playing really well, scoring goals, defensively we looked OK at times, a little bit lethargic or laboured but I can’t fault the boys for the effort they put in.”
Fowler has been delighted with Inman’s response to being dropped earlier in the season after failing to maintain his pre-season form.
“When you’ve got players who you probably can get a little bit more out of, you’ve got to treat them mean because they know what it takes to get back in and play well,” Fowler said.
“On his day he can be outstanding, but it’s just getting that across to Brad. Brad’s got to realise how good he is.
“At time he comes in and he’s a little bit down in the dumps, so we’re trying to get him on top of his game all the time.
“His performances the last three games have been excellent.”
Inman put the Roar ahead in the 34th minute when after a build-up involving young gun Mirza Muratovic and Irishman Jay O’Shea, he composed himself before guiding the ball into the corner of the net.
But the hosts’ lead was short-lived, with City back on level terms in the 39th minute.
Captain Scott Jamieson delivered a far post cross that was met by former Roar marksman Jamie Maclaren, who headed the ball back across the penalty area into the path of Craig Noone, who took advantage of a static Brisbane defence to equalise.
But there was one more first-half twist, with Inman scoring his second in stoppage time with another calm and calculated finish after making the most of an Aaron Amadi-Holloway pass that deflected off City’s Adrian Luna.
However, the Roar were again quick to give up a lead, with banned Olyroo Nathaniel Atkinson unleashing with a stringing 48th minute-strike that flew into the back of the net.
City finished the game with 10 men when substitute Scott Galloway was forced off the field with a damaged ankle that his coach Erick Mombaerts described as a “big injury”.
The Roar suffered a blow when skipper Tom Aldred was booked for the fifth time this season, meaning he will be suspended for Brisbane’s home clash against Wellington Phoenix next Saturday.
Originally published as Brad Inman scores again but Brisbane Roar forced to share spoils against Melbourne City