In the opening match of the 2015-16 A-League Finals Series, Brisbane Roar struck late to dispatch Melbourne Victory in a tense 2-1 win at Suncorp Stadium.
Here are three players who stepped up when needed.
Kosta Barbarouses (Melbourne Victory) – The New Zealander was in fantastic form up front for Melbourne, working to set up numerous chances for Berisha and Khalfallah. Despite going in rough a few too many times and earning himself a yellow card, Barbarouses caused fear in the Roar defence any time he went forward, and his work further back in defence helped Victory out significantly, although it was not enough to secure the win.
Besart Berisha (Melbourne Victory) – Leave it to Berisha to kick start an A-League finals match. Netting yet another finals goal, Berisha played the part of the poacher almost to perfection, showing up precisely when he was needed to, helping kickstart his side. While the match ultimately did not go Melbourne’s way, Berisha was a shining part of the Melbourne attack and manager Kevin Muscat must have been relieved to have him back in the side after his suspension was reduced.
Thomas Broich (Brisbane Roar) – The Brisbane Roar legend once again proved that he can show up when needed, netting a last minute goal to secure the win for his side with a clinical header. Broich was extremely dangerous going forward in the second half, with a number of well-placed headers keeping Victory fans on their toes. With a solid performance in the midfield as well, Broich picked up the slack from Corona and helped lead the side to a slim win.
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