Paul Foster's thirteenth minute penalty was the platform for Brisbane Strikers' victory against Melbourne Knights at Somers Street Stadium on Saturday evening. Kris Trajanovski put the result beyond doubt with a solo run leading to his 75th minute goal, after retreating deep to defend the lead for much of the intervening period.
Strikers' coach John Kosmina reflected on his team's 100 per cent record after three games, when many pundits were of the view that the off-season distractions would mean Strikers would struggle to assert itself in the competition.
"You guys (the press) wrote us off, not me," he said after the game. "You look at the players we have in our squad, I don't know how you could write us off."
Foster opened the scoring from the spot after he had been brought down by Knights' goalkeeper Martin John following Ritchie Alagich's nod down of a cross delivered from the left into Foster's path.
Knights player coach Andrew Marth, sidelined this week on account of illness, was not convinced about the merits of referee Matthew Breeze's penalty-award.
"I'd like to see it on video, but I thought Marty (Johns) got a punch on the ball," he said after the game.
Knights was then forced to chase the game, and without the on-field influence of Marth, the task proved overly burdensome.
Indeed, goalkeeper John made a spectacular double save from Foster and then Trajanovski ten minutes after the break which kept the game from slipping completely out of reach, before Trajanovski outran the Knights central defence, brushing aside an attempt at a challenge from Daniel Piorkowski for the Strikers' second with fifteen minutes to go.
Kosmina had pursued the signing of Trajanovski in the off-season, and was delighted to have landed him. "I worked hard to get him," said Kosmina, "because he's a quality player. He's had three games, scored two goals and set up another two."
Knights best moments had come and gone by this stage, after Marth elected to start the second half with a more attacking formation, bringing on Daniel Debevc for Joey Rajher for a three-man strikeforce.
Toto Da Costa was missing from the line-up as he'd notified Marth of an injury sustained at Friday's training session only on Saturday afternoon. "You give Toto a chance in the box and I'd virtually guarantee he'd put the ball in the back of the net," said Marth who had to re-arrange his match formation and tactics just hours before kick-off. Da Costa's deadly form in front of goal was missed by the Knights, and a number of chances were squandered.
Xhezair Sulemani had an opportunity to level the scores after a clever cut-back from Alex Kiratzoglou on the right, but blasted over from six metres.
Sulemani was again to combine with Kiratzoglou midway through the second half when Kiratzoglou made a dashing run to the bye-line before cutting back, but again Sulemani shot high.
Knights greater commitment to attack left gaps at the back which Foster and Trajanovski were able to exploit as they awaited the long ball played from a massed Strikers' defence. It was only a matter of time before the tactic would bear fruit, and it was Trajanovski who capitalised chasing such a ball, and using his vast experience to hold off his marker.