In Brisbane this week, the saying "it never rains but it pours" might have seemed pretty apt for storm-tossed residents of Queensland's capital. But tonight at Suncorp Stadium, Queensland Roar broke their home goal drought with a near-deluge, running up a riotous 4-1 win over Perth Glory.
Perhaps understandably, only 9118 showed up to see this Hyundai A-League Round 12 match. With Perth unable to win away, and Queensland until now unable to win at home, the prospects for a good game seemed bleak. The playing surface at Suncorp Stadium looked much the worse for wear after a couple of weeks of spring downpours combined with rugby league's so-called "World Cup".
But the crowd received an early morale boost with the surprise announcement that Roar skipper Craig Moore would take the field, after an operation for testicular cancer less than a week ago. He is one tough customer, and indeed was his usual uncompromising self throughout the game.
That's not imply that everything was rosy in the Roar garden. The home team were absolutely out of sorts for very nearly the entire first half. Passes were going astray, the formation looked wooden and predictable. Even Matt McKay was having a poor game. When that happens for 90 minutes (if it ever happens for 90 minutes) Queensland will simply have to hand back its A-League licence.
Perth Glory were looking pretty sharp up front, with Niki Rukavytsya's pace and movement, Jamie Harnwell's physical threat, and the undeniable skills of Adrian Trinidad. In the 5th minute, Harnwell somehow managed to put the ball over the bar with his knee, when he was the only person in the box to react to Rukavytsya's low cross.
In the 10th minute, Rukavytsya timed his run perfectly to spring the offside trap and go well clear onto Coyne's pass. But he hesitated just a microsecond, and Devere got back to make a desperate cover-defending tackle.
A couple of minutes later Jamie Harnwell powered a header just over from a corner.
At the other end of the park, Queensland were not creating anything. Charlie Miller teed the ball up on the edge of the box, but only onto the left foot of Massimo Murdocca. From that range the little bloke wouldn't trouble a decent under-14 keeper, let alone Tando Velaphi.
Michael Zullo and Tahj Minniecon, the wide attackers in Farina's 4-3-3 were being well handled by James Downey and Naum Sekulovski respectively. The wingers were hemmed in on the sidelines, seemingly afraid to cut inside their close markers.
Miller was finding no space to operate in, Van Dyk couldn't get started.
Miraculously, bizarrely, everything changed just before half-time.
Minniecon surged forward, playing a one-two with Murdocca. He charged into the box with the ball at his feet. Nikolai Topor-Stanley came across to challenge, and clumsily brought the little striker down. Penalty. Sergio van Dyk stepped up to convert.
And then almost immediately, the home side's barely deserved 1-0 lead was doubled. Miller was fouled on half-way, and while he was still getting to his feet and the Perth defence was still getting set, Craig Moore pumped the free kick forward. Zullo flicked the ball on to McCloughan, who headed it into the box to the feet of Van Dyk. Van Dyk showed skill and determination to turn his marker Djulbic and get the ball past Velaphi towards the far post. Minniecon was quicker than Sekulovski and swept the ball into the net.
So after a frankly crappy half of football, Queensland led 2-0 at the break.
The second half was a more open affair. Rukavytsya was still the danger to the Queensland goal, but the home team were finding more ways to trouble the Perth defence. It was mostly Zullo in combination with McKay or Miller who was piercing the defence.
In the 55th minute, Zullo received the ball in an attacking position on the left. The Perth defender, afraid of Zullo's pace, did not close in for a tackle. So Zullo, with room to operate, looked up and arrowed a cross to the far post, over Downey, aiming at Miller.
And Charlie Miller produced the best volley seen at Suncorp this season, connecting with a waist-high ball and smashing it low into the left corner of the goal, to make it 3-0. A top-shelf goal, showing great technique from both Miller and Zullo.
Perth quickly hit back, Rukavytsya's pace again embarrasing Devere as he delivered the ball on a plate for Harnwell. This time the big man only had to tap it into the net.
At 3-1 with 20 minutes to go, Queensland still looked pretty vulnerable. They spent much of the time defending grimly, hacking the ball away for corners and throw-ins. Perth, apart from Jamie Coyne and Rukavytsya, didn't produce too much that threatened Reddy's goal, but the locals still managed to look like they were under siege while leading by two goals.
Substitute Mitch Nichols put the result to bed with another good volley in the 82nd minute. The ball was laid back to him by Van Dyk, and Nichols flicked it up with his first touch, and sent a looping strike into the top corner with his second.
This result was a fillip rather than a panacea for the Queensland Roar. The team will have to continue their outstanding away form, and begin to build some consistency at home, if they are to be contenders for the Hyundai A-League crown.
Perth were in many respects their own worst enemies in this game. Their central defensive pairing of Topor-Stanley and Djulbic was far from confidence-inspiring. When Dadi came on late in the game as a striker, enabling Harnwell to go back to the middle of defence, Perth looked a better balanced team. And had Harnwell converted his early gilt-edged chance, things might have been so very different.