Atomic Mass gets bragging rights over fellow Roo
MASSIMO Luongo came out on top in the battle of the Socceroos yesterday when his QPR side beat Jason Davidson’s Huddersfield Town 1-0 in the English Championship.
Luongo was outstanding in Rangers’ third victory and set up the winning goal for Tjaronn Chery when he outpaced Davidson and squared the ball into the path of the Dutch international.
The midfielder, who joined the London club at the start of the season, has been in sparkling form, helping his new club to fourth on the table with a third successive win thanks to three goal assists in four games from the Sydneysider.
Luongo and Davidson headed back to Australia soon after the match for the Socceroos’ World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh on Thursday night in Perth.
Fellow Socceroos Tomi Rogic and Mathew Leckie also enjoyed good days, with the pair getting on the scoresheets in wins for Celtic and Ingolstadt respectively.
Leckie scored the decisive goal for his side to maintain their good start to the Bundes- liga campaign in their debut season in the German top flight.
The 24-year-old winger curled a superb shot inside the left-hand post to seal a 1-0 victory over Augsburg in the Bavarian derby.
Ingolstadt coach Ralph Hasenhuttl praised Leckie and his teammates for their attitude in grinding out the three points to move up to seventh on the table.
“We chose just the right approach against these opponents,” Hasenhuett said.
“I had a few worries about us being hindered at the back, but my boys were really clever. I had the feeling we had a better grip on the game than Augsburg and we had that little bit of luck you need to walk off as winners.”
Former Central Coast Mariners midfielder Rogic, who is putting an injury-riddled spell behind him, grabbed the second goal for Celtic in a 3-1 win over St Johnstone with a superb solo effort.
The result moves the Bhoys to the top of the table after Hearts lost to Hamilton.
Socceroos defender Bailey Wright’s Preston lost 2-0 at Hull in the Championship.