Two goals in the last ten minutes from Alex Brosque and Michael Baird fired the Queensland Roar to a 2-0 victory over the New Zealand Knights in the clubs’Äô opening Hyundai A-League fixture at Suncorp Stadium on August 28, much to the delight of the 20,725-strong crowd.
They witnessed a fast-paced encounter which zipped along right from referee Michael Breeze’Äôs first whistle. Queensland’Äôs pacy attack caused the Knights problems to begin with, particularly the combination of Jonathan Richter - he of the bizarre two-toned hair-do - and Massimo Murdocca on the right.
But the solidly performed Ronnie Bull - one of three former English professionals who caught the eye for the Knights in this match - proved more than a match for Richter, who was eventually switched to the left flank, such was the full-back’Äôs steadfastness.
Neither goalkeeper was called upon to earn their salary in the first fifteen minutes, with the closest we came to seeing a goal in this time being from long-range free-kicks exchanged by Roar’Äôs Brosque and Neil Emblen for the Knights, the latter another of the ex-English pros to catch the eye for all the right reasons.
The best chance of the first twenty-five minutes fell Queensland’Äôs way when Richter evaded a couple of challenges before clipping in an angled cross to the near post to reward the darting run of Matt McKay.
He was unable to direct his glancing header on target on that occasion, while Knights’Äô ’Äòkeeper Danny Milosevic was finally called into action just before the half-hour mark to keep out a deflected drive from Royce Brownlie.
These openings sparked the game into life, with the visitors next to go close. Jeremy Christie’Äôs deep cross found Joshua Rose unmarked on the far post, but the native Queenslander saw his shot blocked to safety.
Back came Queensland, Josh McLoughlan and McKay linking on the left, with the latter’Äôs cross seeing Brosque get in front of John Tambouras for the heading opportunity, but the ball flashed past the post.
Seconds later, the home team’Äôs penalty claims for a foul on McKay were waved away by Breeze. As they moaned, the Knights stormed downfield and earned a free-kick on the left. Josh Maguire clipped it into the zone and picked out Emblen with his set-piece, with the midfielder sending his header bulleting past the post as the Knights’Äô best chance of the half materialised nine minutes before half-time.
Before the interval, Brosque, Murdocca and Hyuk-Su Seo - easily the best player on the park in the first forty-five minutes - saw shots on goal blocked to safety by committed Knights defenders, while Brosque’Äôs shot on the run in first half stoppage time screwed well wide of the mark, meaning the teams would turn around with the deadlock still intact.
The second half began in helter-skelter fashion, with the Knights enjoying the better of the initial exchanges. A twenty-five yard free-kick from Maguire deflected through to Tom Willis, while the Queensland ’Äòkeeper was right behind a well-struck Jeremy Christie in the fiftieth minute.
Two minutes on, Christie and the well-performed Steve Devine linked up neatly, the wily target man checking inside Remo Buess before battering a twenty-five yarder just past the far post.
From the resulting goal kick, Queensland streamed downfield, with Richter leading the charge. After evading a challenge, he let fly from inside the penalty area, only for Milosevic to batter his shot away. The rebound fell to Buess, who unleashed a twenty-yard rocket which careered a yard over the crossbar.
After Brosque’Äôs thunderous first-time thirty-yard volley had rattled the stanchion, the Knights counter-attacked neatly, with Devine providing a lovely lay-off for Rose to take advantage of. He raced past two defenders before drilling a low shot from the edge of the penalty area which Willis smothered well.
Back came Queensland - the early stages of the second half were very open - through Brosque, who set up a shooting chance for McKay. Danny Hay’Äôs timely block foiled this effort, with the rebound falling kindly for substitute Michael Baird, one of three replacements the home team introduced before the hour mark.
He lobbed the ball into the penalty area, looking to reward the charging run of Chad Gibson, the Roar’Äôs captain, who had steamed up field in support of this raid. But the substitute’Äôs delivery was too close to Milosevic, meaning Gibson’Äôs surge was for nought.
After Darren Bazeley and Devine had combined for Rose to force another save from Willis, the offside flag saved the Knights in the 62nd minute, as Brosque slipped Baird through a square defence. Television replays hinted that the home team were hard done by on this occasion.
Twenty minutes from time, Queensland came desperately close to opening the scoring. Baird relished the chance to run at the Knights’Äô defence at any opportunity, and Tambouras was the latest player he left in his wake before linking with Brosque.
The striker cut inside and let fly with a rasping long-range drive which Milosevic parried to his right. Christie was quickest to respond to the rebound, and was able to mop up before Tae-Yong Shin could pounce for the home team.
After Rose had been crowded out on the counter-attack, Queensland came surging forth once more, sixteen minutes from time. Gibson picked out Brosque, whose deep cross found the unmarked Richter lurking near the by-line on the left flank. He pulled the ball across goal, taking Milosevic out of the equation, and leaving Shin with a gilt-edged chance to open the scoring.
But the South Korean failed to take it, his chested effort lacking the power which a shot or headed attempt would have mustered. Christie was the Knights’Äô saviour, clearing off the line when a goal seemed certain.
Shin missed another opening three minutes later, pulling his shot wide of the mark after Richter had picked him out with a cross from the left. The Roar, roared on by the partisan crowd, were pressing regularly now, and the Knights were hanging on grimly, their defence frequently stretched.
Emblen had dropped in to the back-line to replace the cramp-stricken figure of Tambouras, and added some solidity to a quartet in which the captain, Hay, was also visibly tiring.
He still produced a splendidly timed tackle to foil Baird’Äôs eightieth minute raid, but unluckily for Hay and the Knights, the ball sat up perfectly for Brosque, who let fly with a first-time twenty-yarder which sailed beyond the reach of the diving Milosevic and into the top far corner of the net for the opening goal of the game, one well received by the local faithful.
Within two minutes, the Knights were denied an equaliser, Devine being adjudged to have impeded Willis as he leapt to head home Bazeley’Äôs cross from the right. It was a goal which the striker fully deserved, but referee Breeze deemed otherwise, much to Devine’Äôs despair.
It was a crucial call, for four minutes later, Queensland made it 2-0. A poor back-pass from former Manchester United starlet Ben Collett was pounced on by Baird, who coolly rounded the exposed figure of Milosevic before rolling the ball home into an empty net to wrap up a first round victory for the Roar.
Substitute Zenon Caravella looked to muster a stoppage time response for the Knights, but the New Zealand side - the selection of most to occupy the wooden spoon spot at the end of the competition - will prop up the table after the conclusion of the opening round of action, while the A-League’Äôs northernmost entry will top the table.