Brisbane Roar held by Rochedale Rovers

Brisbane Roar was held to a one-all draw by Brisbane Premier League side Rochedale Rovers in a pre-season friendly at Underwood Park on Wednesday night.

The determined Rovers side were second best throughout the match, but unlike their big league opposition made the most of their few chances in front of goal.

Jake McLean opened the scoring for Rochedale just before the break, while Roar youth team prospect and Queensland Academy of Sport product Brandon Borrello saved Roar’s blushes with an equaliser ten minutes from time.

The relatively strong Roar squad’s usually fluid passing game was hampered by the bumpy and bare-patched suburban pitch, but it was ineffectual finishing that really put paid to their hopes of a win.

Rovers centre back Satoro Okubo was noticeably effective in the centre of the home side’s defence, keeping Besart Berisha unusually quiet and receiving the Rovers' clubhouse man-of-the-match award.

Still, the match was largely controlled by the back-to-back A-League champions.

Early on, Roar’s most promising moments were forged by Henrique playing at the top of a three man central midfield. And while the Brazilian did well to lead his opponents on a handful of mazy runs, his two early shots were both miscued due to bobbles on the unpredictable surface.

As the visitors came to terms with the conditions, the passing game found a foothold on the flanks. Shane Stefanutto and Nick Fitzgerald combined well down the left on several occasions, while Jack Hingert and Ben Halloran also proved dangerous down the right.

The final ball into the box was noticeably lacking though, and while Fitzgerald and Halloran each forged shots from the edge of the area by cutting back inside, both efforts were directed squarely at Rovers custodian Sam Taplin.

Roar’s best chance of the first half came from a Luke Brattan corner which was met strongly by the head of Matt Smith, however the attempt was unconvincingly blocked by Taplin on his line.

Rhys Hastings was constantly involved in the sporadic attacking flourishes provided by Rochedale despite taking an early knock to the head, but the goal came on 41 minutes courtesy of a swiftly worked counter attack.

Carl Tabulo gained possession in his own half before his pin point pass picked out Cody Lovell on the left flank. Lovell dribbled until he drew the covering defender and then laid the ball back for McLean, whose subsequent shot from 15 yards snuck under Michael Theo in goal.

To the delight of the Rochedale faithful in the sizeable but restrained crowd, Rochedale managed to hold their lead until the break.

The second half saw Roar return with more purpose, the challenges becoming noticeably heavier in defence and the intensity in attack also lifted. However, it was Rochedale that almost snuck a second just after the restart when a solid shot from Hastings was tipped away by Theo.

The increasingly slippery pitch proved the undoing of a handful of Roar movements as the visitors sought an equaliser; several players slipping over as the surface dew grew heavier while others misjudged the skidding effect it had on their passes.

Despite controlling possession Roar were noticeably off their game in the final third, perhaps best exemplified when Brattan and Berisha managed to make a meal of a free kick in a good position due to a lapse in communication – the Albanian marksman not even getting his shot away before the wall had advanced.

Still, Brisbane battled on to create further chances that were only denied by the resolute defending of the Rovers backline. Stefanutto, Halloran and Henrique all seeing their shots blocked by outstretched legs before the hour mark.

Finally, Brisbane created their first clear cut opportunity of the half when the combination of Stefanutto and Fitzgerald got in behind the defence on the left hand side. Fitzgerald’s cut back finding Berisha unmarked at the top of the box, but the striker emphatically proved it wasn’t his night by blasting his shot well over the cross bar.

Minutes later, Stefanutto persevered under pressure to play a low cross to a heavily-marked Henrique ten yards out from goal, the plucky attacking midfielder managed to get a toe on it before seeing his effort cleared off the line by a well-positioned defender covering the far post.

Not long after, Brattan’s pass from halfway unleashed Halloran down the right. The former Gold Coast United player was brought down by the scrambling John Thompson in the penalty area, but Halloran’s pleas for a penalty weren’t heeded by the referee.

The goal would finally come down the left hand side, where Roar had arguably looked more dangerous throughout the evening, and in a somewhat similar fashion to the Rovers opener.

Matt Jurman played a ball over the top to Stefanutto and the former Socceroo drew a defender before cutting the ball back to Borrello, who took one touch to control before calmly placing his shot to the left of Taplin.

Buoyed by his goal, and coming off a man of the match performance for QAS against Brisbane Strikers on Saturday night, substitute Borrello stayed heavily involved until the final whistle.

The youngster had a chance to snatch the win in the final minute but his shot amidst heavy traffic from the top of the arc missed the right hand post by millimetres, summing up the Roar’s night in front of goal.

In the end Rovers held on for the draw, a result that will provide the club with much needed confidence as the Brisbane Premier League nears its nadir.

Meanwhile, Brisbane Roar’s next preseason fixture is against another Premier League club, Redlands United, at the Cleveland Showgrounds in a week’s time.