A youthful Melbourne Victory was edged 2-1 by Brisbane Roar in the Hyundai A-League on Wednesday.
Summary
Victory, which had four teenagers start at Bankwest Stadium, fell to second-half headers from Scott McDonald and Matthew Ridenton.
Andrew Nabbout pulled a goal back late from the penalty spot, but Victory’s four-game winning streak over Brisbane came to an end.
Victory made a lively opening to proceedings and Nabbout was denied by a last-ditch tackle in the 11th minute after a pass from Birkan Kirdar.
Aaron Anderson, 19, was the next to threaten from a corner before Victory goalkeeper Matt Acton made an excellent diving save to tip away Jay O’Shea’s 25-yard effort in the 17th minute.
Victory was unlucky not to take the lead through Roux in the 22nd minute.
Adama Traore’s cross from the left found the right-back, whose effort from inside the area bounced back off the crossbar after a fingertip save by Roar goalkeeper Jamie Young.
Victory threatened again just before the half-hour mark, good pressing from Jay Barnett leading to Nabbout testing Young from just outside the area.
Marco Rojas was the next to go close, his attempted lob going over the crossbar after a well-weighted pass from Roux.
At the other end, James Donachie’s last-ditch challenge denied McDonald five minutes prior to the break, before Brad Inman fired wide for Brisbane, which finished the half well.
Brisbane took the lead in the 56th minute, McDonald heading in a cross from Inman to open the scoring.
While Victory looked for an equaliser, Roar doubled their lead through Ridenton, who headed in a Corey Brown cross with 12 minutes remaining.
Victory was awarded a penalty when Nabbout was brought down by Tom Aldred, the forward stepping up to send Young the wrong way and find the bottom corner from the spot.
Nabbout almost equalised after a Roux header back across the face of goal before being denied by Young in additional time as Victory fell short.
Player in focus
Key moment
Result
Hyundai A-League 2019/20
Melbourne Victory 1 (Andrew Nabbout 86′ pen)
Brisbane Roar 2 (Scott McDonald 56′, Matthew Ridenton 78′)
Melbourne Victory: Acton (gk); Roux, Anderson, Donachie, Traore (Nishikawa 70′); Barnett (Lesiotis 74′), Broxham (c); Rojas, Kirdar (Hope 45′), Lawrie-Lattanzio (Kamsoba 56′); Nabbout.
Brisbane Roar: Young (gk); Neville, Aldred (c), Gillesphey; Hingert, Inman, Kim (Amadi-Holloway 84′), O’Shea, Brown; Wenzel-Halls (Ridenton 73′), McDonald.
Yellow cards: Hingert 12′, Barnett 72′
Red cards: Nil
Venue: Bankwest Stadium
Next up
Victory heads to Jubilee Stadium on Monday for a clash against the Central Coast Mariners.
