Brisbane Roar open gap in chase for A-League finals

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:16 am

Brisbane duo Scott McDonald and Jay O'Shea both opened their accounts for the A-League club in an impressive 3-1 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers.

McDonald notched a first-half double while Irish midfielder O'Shea's second-half penalty secured a crucial three points for the Roar at Suncorp Stadium on Friday.

The win lifts Brisbane above Adelaide into fifth on the ladder ahead of the Reds' clash with Western United on Saturday.

More importantly it means Robbie Fowler's team are now five points clear of United and the Wanderers in the race for the finals.

Western Sydney, who came into the game looking to leapfrog the Roar into the top six, were surprisingly under-par following their derby win last weekend over Sydney FC.

Apart from captain Mitch Duke's individual effort in the second-half which briefly sparked hopes of a revival, the visitors were distinctly second best on a humid night in the Queensland capital.

Brisbane got off to the perfect start, with McDonald opening his account for the club in the third minute.

Scott McDonald scored twice to continue Brisbane's fine form.
Photo by Jono Searle/Getty Images

The former Socceroo bundled home an effort from close range after the Wanderers failed to clear a free kick.

A sluggish Wanderers were lucky not concede more before McDonald's second came in the 38th minute.

Macauley Gillesphey's cross took a touch off Tate Russell and McDonald tapped home from close range with the goal eventually awarded after a VAR check overturned an offside call against the Roar forward.

The first 45 was perhaps the Roar's best first half of the season, with Duke's tame shot in the 36th minute the only shot on target the visitors could muster.

Brisbane were unlucky not to go in three goals to the good, but O'Shea's free kick on the cusp of half-time smacked into the post with Daniel Lopar stranded in the Wanderers goal.

Out of nothing, the Wanderers cut the margin back to one goal when Duke continued his fine run of goal-scoring form, running clear down the left before cutting past Roar captain Tom Aldred and firing a near post finish past Jamie Young in the 54th minute.

The Roar's two-goal lead was restored when Brad Inman pounced on a Dylan McGowan error in the 70th minute, before being cut down by Matthew Jurman inside the box.

Jurman was booked with O'Shea coolly slotting home the penalty for his first goal in Roar colours.

Jurman's yellow was one of seven dished out by referee Chris Beath including a second of the season for Roar coach Fowler and a late caution for Patrick Ziegler, which will rule the German out of the Wanderers' visit to Melbourne City next Saturday.