The Roar have broken Heart and doubled their goal tally for the season, beating the new Melbourne side 4-0 at Suncorp.
The Heart started well, but once the Roar’s slick attack started to gel and find some rhythm, as well as being reduced to 10 men early in the second half, it was just a matter of how many they could finish in the high scoring encounter.
Melbourne were build on last weeks home win against the Phoenix and spring on from there, whereas the Roar side which started well had started to fizzle a little, very much struggling in front of goal.
It was the Heart who started well, playing some nice possession build up, the kind the Roar had been subjecting their opponents to week in week out. The best chance early came when Skoko made a run through midfield, slide a perfect pass to Terra on the wing, whose first time cross was behind Aloisi. The Heart marquee, who looked good early and is working well as the centre on Melbourne’s attack, tried his luck with an overhead kick but put it over the top. All very quick, all very flash.
But it was the Roar’s turn to play, in the 23rd minute with Barbarouses, recalled in the absence of Costa Rican Solorzano, started the move, turning his defender. He slide the ball to Broich on the edge of the box who waited for the wrap from Stefanutto. Stefanutto’s cross went behind Barbarouses, who controlled the ball, knock it past Dean Heffernan, and got his shot deflected but with enough power to get past Bolton and into the back of the net.
From there the home side picked up their game and left Heart in the dust. The intensity in the defence as well reflected in their attack. Pinching the ball off Melbourne in their half, Reinaldo passed wide for a marauding Barbarouses run between defenders, and one-on-one Bolton made himself big and knocked away the shot.
Barbarouses could have had his hattrick when the 5’7 striker rose above the pack on a well delivered corner from McKay and had his header cleared well by Matt Thompson on the line. Lesson for the kids, always have someone on the post.
But it didn’t stop the Brisbane tirade when a few minutes later in the 38th of the game another corner wasn’t properly cleared and fell to midfielder Erik Paartalu who smacked it into the area, took a deflection and beat once again beat Bolton into the net.
The break was welcomed by the Heart who despite a strong start seemed to have developed some sort of arrhythmia and were disjointed in defence.
But after the break they couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start. In the 48th minute, with a silky one two between Broich and Reinaldo, the latter was clear on goal. Heffernan came sliding from behind in the box and made contact, enough to bring the Brazillian crashing down and force referee Chris Boyle to point to the spot and give a caution to the Heart defender.
Reinaldo stepped up to convert his won penalty and sent Bolton the wrong way to double the Roar’s attack efforts from their whole season so far in one game.
It went from bad to worse for the Heart when seven minutes later, the two players were again involved, this time in a pre-corner scuffle. The official walked both players out of the area and gave them both a caution, making it two and a dismal for Heffernan.
Even with a full compliment the Heart were struggling to keep up with the Roar, when reduced to ten, as well as Colosimo and Aloisi being substituted in what must be a safety move by van ‘t Schip, Melbourne were being walked around in defence.
The angles, short passes and runs the Roar attackers were making were giving the opposition no chance. If it weren’t for ‘keeper Clint Bolton, it could have very easily been 8-0. There were no fewer than six one-on-one chances after the send off for Brisbane, most of those falling to Reinaldo and Barbarouses.
But the one that fell to Mitch Nichols, a substitute for Broich, found the back of the net. A simple as you like one two with ever-present captain Matt McKay split the defence on the edge of the box, with Nichols keeping a cool head and slotting the ball in the far corner.
The Heart will wonder where it fell down, they did start very well, and their away strip alone should be worth a goal, but when Brisbane found their rhythm and dictated possession, they looked like they could beat any side in the competition. They ended the game with a total of 22 shots on goal and seven corners. As well as keeping a clean sheet it was a strong performance by the Roar.