Western Sydney Wanderers will travel to Queensland on Friday night to take on Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium in an important clash as both sides look to build momentum in the closing stages of the Isuzu UTE A-League season.
The Wanderers enter the fixture following a narrow 2-1 defeat to Newcastle Jets at McDonald Jones Stadium last weekend. Bozhidar Kraev gave the Wanderers the perfect start in the 20th minute, rising highest to head home Ryan Fraser’s pinpoint delivery from a short corner routine for the club’s first shot on target of the afternoon.
Despite the early advantage, the Jets controlled large portions of possession and found their response shortly after the restart. Eli Adams struck just 103 seconds into the second half to level the contest before defender Mark Natta sealed the comeback in the 77th minute, tapping home from close range after a scramble inside the penalty area.
The Wanderers continued to push until the final whistle and came agonisingly close to rescuing a point in stoppage time. Goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas ventured forward for a late set piece and powered a header toward goal, forcing a save from Jets keeper James Delianov before the rebound crashed against the crossbar.
While the result did not fall their way, the Wanderers will take encouragement from their attacking moments and late pressure as they look to respond on the road.
Brisbane Roar, meanwhile, played out a physical 1-1 draw with Perth Glory in their most recent outing at Kayo Stadium. The Roar struck first in the 15th minute when Jay O’Shea cleverly rolled a set piece to Chris Long, who unleashed a powerful strike from range to open the scoring.
Perth responded almost immediately when Luca Tevere’s dipping cross forced a mistake from defender Youstin Salas, who inadvertently turned the ball into his own net under pressure from Nicholas Pennington.
The contest became increasingly physical as the match progressed, with both sides pushing for a decisive goal but unable to break the deadlock. Brisbane created several late opportunities, however key saves from Perth goalkeeper Matt Sutton and a crucial defensive block from Scott Wootton ensured the points were shared.
The Roar were also dealt a blow during the match, losing both starting strikers to injury in the first half, with Long leaving the field after hurting his ankle before Nick D’Agostino landed awkwardly on his knee in stoppage time.
With both teams currently outside the top six and the season entering its final stretch, Friday night’s meeting shapes as an important opportunity for each side to gain valuable momentum.
The Wanderers will be determined to bounce back and deliver a strong performance away from home, while Brisbane Roar will be hoping to capitalise on home support at Suncorp Stadium as they continue their push to close the gap on the finals positions.
