For the third time this season, and for the second time in three weeks, Besart Berisha was sent off from a Brisbane Roar game. Not exactly the record the Albanian star was looking to set. Yet his teammates scored a shorthanded goal to defeat Melbourne Heart 2-1 on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium. The Roar, who claimed the Premier’s Plate last weekend, extended their lead atop the A-League ladder while the loss in Brisbane confirms Heart will miss out on the finals.
10-man Brisbane Roar come back to beat Melbourne Heart
Besart Berisha was sent off yet again but Brisbane scored in each half to defeat Heart on Friday night.
Bradley Kanaris
It was Heart who struck first with Aziz Behich scoring in the 18th minute following a strong build up through Massimo Murdocca and Mate Dugandzic. Behich thought he had won a penalty in the game’s first minute when Liam Miller pulled the 23-year-old down in the box, but the referee reversed his decision due to his assistant’s offside flag. Patrick Kisnorbo also sent a header off the post before Behich opened scoring. That Heart were early aggressors was not surprising given the result of the game only mattered for the visitors, relative to a finals position.
A sweet combination between Thomas Broich, Matt Smith and Dimitri Petratos produced Brisbane’s first goal with the latter two expertly evading the Heart defense in the 36th minute. The goal sparked the Roar and though Berisha went off after kicking Heart goalkeeper Tando Velaphi in the head in the 50th minute, it was the home side that was strongest in the second half. Substitute Henrique collected a pass from Matt McKay in the 73rd minute and struck a terrific shot from the edge of the box, having previously missed an open chance.
Berisha’s absence will be felt but the fact that the Roar do not need any results over the final two weeks means Brisbane can regroup and plan for its finals appearance. A Saturday April 5 game in Western Sydney will have a lot to say about where the Wanderers finish on the ladder while Brisbane will try to keep playing well and avoid injuries. Now that the finals push is off, Heart have just two games left before the full Manchester City take over commences. The first of which will come on Friday night April 4 at Adelaide United in the penultimate game of their 2013/14 season.
Scoring:
MHT Behich (Dugandzic) 18’
BRI Petratos (Smith) 36’
BRI Henrique (McKay) 73’
Line-ups:
Brisbane Roar: Theo; Ferreira, Smith, North (Donachie 46’), Hingert; McKay, Lustica, Miller (Henrique 70’); Broich, Berisha, Petratos
Unused substitutes: Acton, Stefanutto, Solorzano
Melbourne Heart: Velaphi; Garuccio, Kisnorbo, Wielaert (Gerhardt 80’), Hoffman; Ramsay (Mauk 75’), Behich, Engelaar (Kalmar 65’), Murdocca; Dugandzic, Williams
Unused substitutes: Redmayne, Retre
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