Roar beat Jets 3-2 to move top of table
Queensland Roar won its second match in a row and jumped to the top of the A-League with a 3-2 victory over Newcastle Jets at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Friday.
Queensland striker Simon Lynch tapped in the winner in the 87th minute after Jets skipper Paul Okon failed to clear a free kick inside the box.
It was a disastrous night for Socceroo Okon, who netted an own goal in the first half after Roar captain Chad Gibson did likewise at the other end.
Queensland roared to the top the league with six points, while the Jets have one point from two matches.
Adding further disappointment to the home side, striker Joel Griffiths was sent off two minutes into injury time for a second bookable offence.
Both sides lived up to their attacking reputations, playing with three strikers.
The 4-3-3 system left their defences vulnerable but produced an exciting encounter for the 7276 fans.
Queensland started the match superbly with Brazilian striker Reinaldo belting home a goal after five minutes.
Reinaldo broke free into space on the right, arrowed towards goal and smashed a shot past Jets goalkeeper Ben Kennedy - his pace embarrassing the static Newcastle defence.
The Jets reacted quickly with Griffiths hitting the cross bar two minutes later, but it took a Roar mistake for scores to level when on 26 minutes Gibson mistakenly headed the ball into his own net in a mixup with Roar goalkeeper Liam Reddy.
Jets defender Andrew Durante lobbed the ball into the box, Reddy came to collect it but hesitated, Gibson froze and the ball careered off his head into the net.
Reddy joined Queensland from Newcastle in the off-season after Nick Theodorakopoulos was appointed Jets coach.
The away team regained the lead on 38 minutes when Okon shockingly put the ball into his own goal from inside the six-yard box.
Reinaldo played a dangerous cross into the box from the right wing, which Okon side-footed into his own goal.
Newcastle striker Mark Bridge restored parity five minutes before half-time with his first goal of the season.
Bridge ran onto a throw-in and fired a low angled shot into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
Queensland coach Miron Bleiberg replaced Gibson at half-time with Stuart McLaren.
However it was Lynch who provided the necessary spark, tapping in from close range after Okon failed to clear a free-kick.
Queensland coach Miron Bleiberg said he felt lucky to gain all three points.
"I don't think any team deserved to lose. Soccer wise, maybe Newcastle were the better side today," said Bleiberg.
"Today we played second fiddle to Newcastle's midfield.
"If we play so much below par and still manage to beat a good team in an away game, which wasn't easy, we should feel a lucky privilege or proud."
Bleiberg said Gibson and Reddy must take joint blame for the own goal, but admitted Gibson was substituted at halftime partly because of his own goal.
"The goalkeeper screamed mine and left his goal and Chad didn't obey," he said.
"If the goalkeeper goes out and no one obeys the instruction, he should kill everybody in his way including his own captain.
"Both of them have to take blame for it.
"Gibson is supposed to be the leader of the defence. I noticed since the own goal was scored his game and his leadership dropped."
Newcastle coach Theodorakopoulos said he felt empty and deflated by the late loss.
"You've got to take the good with the bad," he said.
"It was a very good game, good passing, good pressure, winning the ball back and getting into danger areas.
"We're finding ways to lose games."
Despite Okon's mistakes, he said his captain had a very good match.
"How do you coach a player of that class and calibre to kick the ball away from six metres?" asked Theodorakopoulos.
"An experienced player in the last few minutes just goes a little bit haywire. It does happen, I just hope it won't happen again."
![AAP](https://www.thefanatics.com/images/aaplogo2.gif)
Post a comment about this article
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Becoming a member is free and easy, sign up here.