Western United drown out Roar

WESTERN United have absorbed an early goal to come from behind and record a dramatic 3-2 win over a ten-man Brisbane Roar outfit at Moreton Daily Stadium in A-League Men action.

Down early thanks to Juan Lescano’s marker in the first 180 seconds, United quickly capitalised on Roar keeper Jordan Holmes’ dismissal half-an-hour in, through Adisu Bayew’s 35th-minute equaliser.

The lead was then secured when Scott Neville inadvertently put the ball in his own net in the 58th and doubled in the 83rd through Aleksandar Prijovic.

Forced to defend against a furiously finishing Roar, United then did enough to ensure Jay O’Shea’s 88th-minute penalty was a consolation.

The win moved United level on points with Melbourne City atop the ALM table but John Aloisi’s side possesses a game in hand ahead of a clash with Central Coast in Ballarat at Mars Stadium next week.

A bright start wasted, Roar remains second from the bottom and will host Wellington midweek.

After United keeper Jamie Young coughed the ball up under Jack Hingert’s pressure, Lescano put Roar ahead early with an easy finish.

But a turning point arrived on the half-hour mark when Holmes was shown a straight red card for charging out of his area and bringing down Lachie Wales.

After struggling to create shots on goal despite their high possession – albeit with two goals disallowed for offside – United took advantage as Bayew netted his first-ever ALM goal when he headed in a Ben Garrcucio corner.

Despite his side starting the second half brightly, Neville unwittingly knocked a Wales cross into his own net early in the second stanza to put Roar in a 2-1 hole.

Prijovic then capitalised on a napping defence to head home a quickly taken free kick by Leo Lacroix to make it 3-1 late in the game.

Inspired by substitute Cyrus Dehmie, Roar tried to fight back but couldn’t add to O’Shea’s spot-kick.

 

– BY JOEY LYNCH/ AAP