Happy New Year for Brisbane Roar

Brisbane Roar coach Ange Postecoglou couldn’t be happier after his team's decisive 3-1 win over Melbourne Victory on New Year's Eve. Following five matches of below par performances the men in orange got back in the winner’s circle with their new-look 3-4-3 attacking formation.

“It’s been a tough little grind this one,” Postecoglou told the press.

“It would have left a bitter taste if we didn’t see off the year as winners, because we have been all year.”

Postecoglou admitted to feeling anxious with the prospect of yet another loss after the purest of strikes from Victory’s Harry Kewell gave the visitors the lead just three minutes in. But a sweetly timed header from Mitch Nichols’ before halftime got the home side back in the game as the Roar strive to prove they can win without their injured German dynamo Thomas Broich.

“He cops a bit of flack sometimes,” Postecoglou said of Nichols’ post-goal celebration where the blonde-locked midfielder directed fans to check the name written on his back before slagging him off any further.

“He’s been battling through the last two or three weeks, he’s not 100% fit but he keeps putting his hand up because he knows we need him out there.

“He’s the one that can break a game open.”

And it’s exactly what the Socceroos’ newest recruit did.

In the second half the new formation that pushed Shane Stefanutto and Ivan Franjic into the attacking fray resulted in a lot more chances for Nichols, Rocky Visconte and Besart Berisha. Melbourne defenders were found out time and time again while the Roar dominated in all areas of the pitch and put together the most exciting passages of play since their record breaking 36-game undefeated run.

But Postecoglou said the real story of the night was not the changed game plan but the performance of his team.

“We adjusted things a little bit, but the key thing to that was we didn’t change the way we played,” the Roar coach said.

“We still knocked it around and kept possession. We were a lot more threatening tonight than we have been over the last few weeks and a lot of the boys are pretty determined to get it right.”

Meanwhile for Melbourne Victory and coach Mehmet Durakovic the pressure continues to mount. 

Having to play without their injured captain Adrian Leijer was a big setback for the fluro-clad Victory. Though even without Leijer, not for the first time this season Melbourne gave away an early lead to cop a hard defeat.

“The last four or five games that’s what’s really been disappointing, because we’ve played some really good football,” Durakovic said.

“It’s a lack of concentration basically.”

Praising the Brisbane squad, the under-siege coach said it was simply a matter of time before the defending champions got back on track, it was just unfortunate that his team was on the receiving end. Durakovic was adamant they are still the team to beat for the 2011/2012 Hyundai A-League title.

The win for Brisbane ensures the Queenslanders won’t slip any further down the ladder, currently in third spot. But what does the result mean for Melbourne?

Sitting precariously in sixth place on the table, Victory defender Rodrigo Vargas knows all too well that their time to make a move is quickly running out.

“We can't keep saying next week, next week. It's over the halfway mark and we need to start collecting points because the end of the year will come soon,” he said.

“We have to lift. It's not a question if we can. We have to.

“Were getting to the desperate stakes now.”