Berisha brace boosts Brisbane

Brisbane Roar produced an almost flawless display to beat Adelaide United 2-1 at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon and climb 10 points clear the top of the table, albeit being harshly denied a spectacular phantom goal.

Outgoing striker Besart Berisha was in inspired form, netting in each half, the latter goal a spectacular drive from 20 metres that flew in off the right upright.

It should have been, however, a runner-up in goal beauty to Thomas Broich’s thunderous strike from 30 metres moments before the break.

The German maestro unleashed a venomous effort that crashed into the crossbar, rebounded across the goal-line and spun back into play. It was wrongly ruled to have not crossed the line by referee Shaun Evans and his assistants.

The score at that stage was already 1-0 to Brisbane, Berisha having tapped in the opener after brilliant lead-up work from Dimitri Petratos and Matt McKay.

Although Adelaide enjoyed sustained periods of dominating possession in the game, Brisbane proved the more clinical – Berisha’s second on 52 minutes lifting the roof off a strong 12,500 crowd.

Just as the match seemed to be winding down to a comfortable conclusion for the Oranje, Adelaide’s Jeronimo Neumann pulled off a piece of individual brilliance – controlling a long ball before blasting an unstoppable strike past Michael Theo.

It would be the last chapter of a memorable match, but Roar coach Mike Mulvey insisted actions need to be taken to prevent other wrong goal-line decisions.   

“That technology exists and we should see if we could get it here,” Mulvey said.

“Maybe it’s a little bit pricey but things like that are things of beauty - a strike from 30 metres and it’s 2-0, it changes the game.

“I can be quite calm about it because we’ve won the game, but there’s going to be a time, an instance, where it will cost a coach a game or a place in the finals and its not right in today’s day and age.”

His compatriot, Adelaide coach Josep Gombau, agreed on the matter and was sympathetic towards the referee.

“In normal life we use technology, so why not in football,” he said.

“If it’s a goal, it’s a goal. Finish. For the referee, it’s difficult.

“These things really do help, to make the game more clean.”

The win all but sealed the minor premiership for the Roar, who took advantage of Western Sydney’s loss to Sydney FC on Saturday.

The league leaders could wrap it up with a win at Sydney next Friday night, given Western Sydney and Melbourne Victory both lose their fixtures.



Brisbane Roar: 1. Michael THEO (gk), 2. Matthew SMITH (c), 3. Shane STEFANUTTO, 5. Ivan FRANJIC (19. Jack HINGERT 46’), 7. Besart BERISHA, 11. Liam MILLER (8. Steven LUSTICA 78’), 13. Jade NORTH (26. Corey BROWN 59’), 17. Matthew McKAY, 18. Luke BRATTAN, 22. Thomas BROICH, 23. Dimiti PETRATOS


Adelaide United: 1. Eugene GALEKOVIC (gk/c), 3. Nigel BOOGAARD, 4. Jonathan McKAIN, 5. Osama MALIK, 7. Jeronimo NEUMANN, 8. ISAIS, 9. Sergio CIRIO, 14. Cameron WATSON (10. Marcelo CARRUSCA 46’), 18. Michael ZULLO, 21. Tarek ELRICH (2. Michael MARRONE 63’), 22. Fabio FERREIRA (17. Awer MABIL 63’)