Brisbane Roar coasted to a 4-0 win over the Central Coast Mariners at Suncorp Stadium.
The Roar took the lead in the 20th minute from an unlikely source, as James Donachie headed Corona’s free-kick back into the path of central defensive partner Jade North, who outjumped Jake McGing and Jacob Poscoliero to flick the ball into the net with his head.
From there the home side took control of the match, with the Mariners looking far less threating as Fabio Ferreira started to show signs of struggling. Brisbane put a second away through Jamie Maclaren, who failed to win Dimitri Petratos’ initial cross but smacked home the loose ball past Paul Izzo.
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It was a similar story in the second half as the Mariners struggled to cope with the movement of the Roar midfield, conceding a third after Corona produced a sublime finish at the end of a finely constructed attacking move.
Further misery followed for the visitors as Harry Ascroft was sent off for a challenge on Jamie Maclaren, with Henrique dispatching the subsequent penalty to notch up his side’s fourth of the match.
The result sends Brisbane one point clear of Western Sydney Wanderers, who can return to the top later tonight in their match against Melbourne Victory.
Maclaren building Socceroos selection case
The 22-year-old notched up his tenth goal of the season in the first half, adding to his fine record of 14 goals in his last 16 A-League appearances. In addition to his predatory instincts, Maclaren also offers dynamic movement off the ball to help create chances for his teammates, nearly setting up Brandon Borello and Henrique for goals of their own in each half.
Although he was not able to add to his tally in the second stanza, Maclaren did win his side the penalty for their fourth goal, being brought down by Harry Ascroft in a situation where he may have scored himself.
Given his involvement with the Olyroos last month – during which the Roar attack noticeably struggled to find the net – it should not be long before Maclaren is receiving a call-up to the senior side.
Roar underline title credentials
The Roar made a temporary return to the top of the table for the first time in a number of weeks following back-to-back defeats against Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United last month. It was a complete performance from John Aloisi’s side, who could have dropped their intensity after taking a two-goal lead into the break, but continued to press the opposition and added two goals in the second period.
With winnable fixtures against Newcastle Jets and Perth Glory in the coming weeks, John Aloisi’s side have the perfect chance to lay down a marker for the rest of the competition and make a permanent return to top spot on the ladder.
Mariners depth starkly exposed
Tony Walmsley’s side suffered a major blow in the warm-up, with explosive winger Mitch Austin ruled out of the match due to back spasms. January signing Matthew Fletcher was drafted into the starting side, but as a traditional striker, the pre-match substitute did not provide a strong threat on the flanks.
The situation was further compounded when Fabio Ferreira, the side’s other key attacking weapon, started to noticeably flag midway through the half with an injury of his own. The Portuguese winger soldiered on in the second half, but was hardly at his explosive best until being substituted by Brad McDonald in the 76th minute.
The ineffective Fletcher was pulled off for Luis Garcia at the break, with Michael Neill moving out to the left wing and Garcia taking up position in the playmaker role behind Bingham.
However, despite the occasional flash of promise, Tony Walmsley’s side were never able to provide a consistent threat to the Roar, suggesting the failure to capture Youssouf Hersi in the transfer window could hurt the club’s chances of avoiding a maiden wooden spoon.
Outside90 Player of the Year votes
3 – Jamie Maclaren
2 – Corona
1 – Jade North
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