Roar off to good start

Three goals in the final 10 minutes have handed Queensland Roar an exciting 3-0 win over Perth Glory in the Hyundai A-League opener at Suncorp Stadium.

The Roar struggled early before off-season recruits Simon Lynch and Dario Vidosic and Stuart McLaren scored within six pulsating second-half minutes to send the 20,606 supporters home happy.

Queensland Roar started brightly and Hyuk-Su Seo fired over in the opening minutes. Perth looked sluggish and the Roar continued to dominate chances fell to Ante Milicic and Simon Lynch, but the Glory held firm. The Glory began to gel midway through the half and new signing Leo Bertos came into the game.

His free-kick after 26 minutes was saved at full stretch by Liam Reddy. The lively Bertos then fed Simon Colosimo whose cross was cleared away from danger by the Roar’s defence. On the half hour Bertos again was the provider his cross found Tyler Simpson at the back post but his header was cleared. From the resulting corner from Stan Lazaridis the Glory had the best chance of the half Jamie Harnwell heading inches past the post.

It was a different Glory now, and Bertos cut inside from the right and curled a shot wide. The Roar pushed forward and went close themselves, with Marcus Wedau setting up Simon Lynch wide on the right, his shot was well saved by young Glory debutant Alex Vrteski. It was 0-0 at the break.

The Glory went close early in the second half; Stan Lazaridis corner was headed over by the unmarked Stuart Young, the veteran striker should have done better. The Glory was well on top and Bertos fired a free kick wide.

The Roar’s supporters did their best to get behind their team and after good work on the right by Lynch, Reinaldo da Costa headed inches over. The dangerous Matt Mckay cut inside from the left his shot was pushed away by Vrteski.

It was back down the other end as keeper Reedy dropped a Lazeridis corner, and when it was sent back to the former Birmingham City winger his cross was headed inches past the post by Harnwell. On the hour, the Glory went close again, a surging run by Ante Kovacevic played in Mislav Saric, he found Bertos whose shot was blocked by Reedy.

Perth paid the penalty for not converting their chances when the Roar broke the deadlock in the 78th minute, young Vrtseki did well to save Milicic’s initial shot but the Glory didn’t clear their lines and Lynch drilled a shot across the face of Vrteski and into the net.

It was 2-0 four minutes later when substitute Vidosic scored after playing one-two with Lynch before firing low past Vrteski in stylish fashion. McLaren sealed the win when the second-half substitute fired home the Roar's third within four minutes of his arrival for the hard-working Reinaldo.

Team Line-Ups

Queensland Roar:
GK Liam Reddy, Andrew Packer, Chad Gibson (Vidosic 63), Josh McCloughan, Marcus Wedau (Murdocca 68), Simon Lynch, Ante Milicic, Reinaldo da Costa (McLaren 82), Matt McKay, Hyuk-Su Seo, Sasa Ognenovski. Subs; Not Used - Tom Willis.

Perth Glory:
GK Aleks Vrteski, David Tarka, Simon Colosimo, Jamie Harnwell, Jeremy Christie (Micevski 57), Stan Lazaridis, Leo Bertos, Ante Kovacevic, Stuart Young, Naum Sekulovski, (Saric 58) Tyler Simpson (Webster 84). Subs; Not used – Andrew Crews.

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