McKay sent off as Roar loses at home
BRISBANE Roar’s A-League title defeat has got off to the worst possible start with a 2-1 home defeat to Adelaide United.
The Roar also had Matt McKay sent off for abusing referee Ben Williams, who also turned down a late Brisbane penalty shout at Suncorp Stadium.
Things started brightly with Thomas Broich giving the home side the lead when his free-kick somehow squeezed home through a packed penalty area.
The visitors equalised through a fierce Bruce Djite shot before taking the lead after Brisbane right-back James Donachie turned a cross into his own net for an own-goal.
In yesterday’s other game, Perth Glory staged a smash-and-grab raid in Wellington to steal all three points from the Phoenix at Westpac Stadium.
Substitute Jamie MacLaren was the Glory hero, scoring a breakaway goal in the 86th minute to snatch a 2-1 victory in the sunshine in New Zealand.
The game looked headed for a draw after Phoenix recruits Nathan Burns and Michael McGlinchey combined in the second half to cancel out Andy Keogh’s first-half headed goal, but MacLaren had other ideas as he raced on to the ball following a Ben Sigmund error, before firing the ball leftfooted past Glen Moss in the Phoenix goal.
The defeat was harsh on the Phoenix as Ernie Merrick’s team dominated possession for long periods and created the better chances, including one for Burns in the first half when he was denied one-on-one by Danny Vukovic, just before Keogh notched the opener. Moss also made some decent saves, particularly from Perth’s loan signing Mitch Nichols in the second half as the visitors threatened to sneak a win.
Perth had not won away from home on the opening day of the A-League season in the competition’s history before yesterday, and had only won once before on New Zealand soil.