Brad Inman scores cracker as Brisbane Roar draw 1-1 with Newcastle Jets
Brisbane Roar had a substitute and their goalkeeper to thank as they secured a draw against the Newcastle Jets.
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A Brad Inman screamer and a miraculous Jamie Young save rescued Brisbane Roar from total disaster in Saturday night’s battle of the A-League cellar dwellers at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Trailing 1-0 to hosts Newcastle late in the contest and seemingly headed for a third straight defeat and last place on the ladder, the Roar fought back to earn a 1-1 draw.
Substitute Inman netted the equaliser and his first A-League goal in the 87th minute with a superb strike from the edge of the penalty area.
But the game was far from over, with the Roar needing the heroics of goalkeeper Young to secure a point.
Left sprawling on the ground after being smashed on the chin from teammate Scott Neville as he came out to punch clear a corner, Young rose immediately to his feet to somehow get his hand to a goal-bound Ben Kantarovski header.
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“I knew the ball wasn’t clear so I just had to get on with it and make the reaction save,” Young told Fox Sports.
“It wasn’t easy but it’s part and parcel of football.”
Young also made a crucial save in the 80th minute to deny Angus Thurgate, who seemed certain to double Newcastle’s lead and seal the three points.
“I tried to stay as big as I could and tried to make him beat me and lucky enough I got a hand to it,” said the experienced gloveman, who admitted it had been a tough time at the club after an ordinary start to the season under coach Robbie Fowler.
“We want results to be better and I know our manager wants that as well, and he’s probably pulling his hair out as to why that is.”
Liverpool legend Fowler swung the axe to the team beaten 2-0 by Western United in Brisbane’s previous start December 13, making five changes to the starting team.
In a revamped forward line, gteenage debutant Mirza Muratovic and Aaron Amadi-Holloway came in for Dylan Wenzel-Halls and Roy O’Donovan, the scorer six goals this season.
Elsewhere, midfielder Jacob Pepper and defenders Daniel Bowles and Jack Hingert replaced Rahmat Akbari, Stefan Mauk and Jordan Courtney-Perkins.
It was Hingert’s first A-League match since February when he suffered an ACL tear that led to a knee reconstruction.
Brisbane had the first chance of the game after just five minutes when midfielder Aiden O’Neill forced a good save out of Jets goalkeeper Glen Moss.
However, the Jets withstood early pressure and went ahead in the 32nd minute through former Roar star Dimitri Petratos.
Brisbane defenders were caught ball-watching as they allowed Jason Hoffman to be first to a Matt Millar cross.
Hoffman’s shot was parried by keeper Young but the loose ball fell into the path of Petratos, who finished with authority.
The Roar have little time to dwell on the draw, with their next match on Wednesday night against Western Sydney Wanderers at Bankwest Stadium.
They could be without skipper Tom Aldred, who was forced off in the 50th minute with an upper-leg injury.
NEWCASTLE JETS 1 (Dimitri Petratos 32m) BRISBANE ROAR 1 (Bradden Inman 87m) at McDonald Jones Stadium. Crowd: 7,449. Referee: Alireza Faghani
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Originally published as Brad Inman scores cracker as Brisbane Roar draw 1-1 with Newcastle Jets