A man-of-the-match performance from Brisbane goalkeeper Fraser Chalmers helped his side clinch a 3-1 win over 10-man Adelaide United.
A man-of-the-match performance from Brisbane goalkeeper Fraser Chalmers helped his side clinch a 3-1 win over 10-man Adelaide United in the Foxtel National Youth League at Thebarton Oval in Adelaide on Saturday.
The Roar were 2-0 up after just 10 minutes with goals either side of Shaun Harvey’s red card, the Baby Reds captain given his marching orders for bringing down Brandon Borrello with the striker clear through on goal.
Despite the disadvantage, United outplayed their opponents for much of the contest and were continually denied by Chalmers who was in inspired form.
The Reds fought their way back to 2-1 after a stunning second-half strike from Jacob Melling but soon conceded a third, after Chalmers had kept his side ahead with a fistful of stunning saves.
Samed Altundag, who joined the Roar from Eastern United in Adelaide, broke the deadlock in the seventh minute when United keeper Paul Izzo was caught in possession by the forward who walked the ball into an unguarded net.
The Baby Reds’ horror start went from bad to worse with Brisbane’s other Adelaide-born striker, Borrello, brought down inside the area with just Izzo to beat and Harvey rightfully expelled from the contest.
Dimitri Petratos stepped up and calmly converted the spot kick to give Brisbane a 2-0 lead inside the opening 10 minutes.
After the quarter hour United worked their way back into the match with Awer Mabil a constant threat out wide on the right and Jake Barker-Daish impressive in the middle of the park.
On 20 minutes, Chalmers was called into action with the first of many excellent saves, plucking out from the top corner an audacious, swerving 20-metre volley from Melling which looked to be dipping over the keeper and into the net.
Barker-Daish almost pulled a goal back with his free kick just skimming the top of the bar 10 minutes before the break.
Five minutes into the second half and Chalmers was again on hand to keep the Baby Reds out, this time diving low to his left to deflect a bullet-like free kick from Mabil.
Within a minute, Mabil was involved again supplying a dangerous cross for Nikola Mileusnic whose shot rebounded off the post.
Ryan Kitto was quickest to react for the home side and charged down the loose ball only to be thwarted by a sprawling Chalmers whose last-ditch effort kept the score at 2-0.
The Baby Reds did eventually pull one back just after the hour with Melling firing in a venomous effort from a tight angle.
United sensed an equaliser and continued to push forward in numbers despite having played with 10 men since the 10th minute.
Mileusnic wasted two perfect opportunities to draw his side level, denied each time by Chalmers.
The winger found himself free in the area on both occasions, once shooting straight at the Roar keeper, and his other attempt forcing another impressive save from the visiting custodian.
Adelaide were made to rue missed opportunities with Borrello sealing victory in the 72nd minute, breaking the offside trap and racing through to slot his shot past Izzo.
Adelaide United 1 (Melling 66)
Brisbane Roar Youth 3 (Altundag 7, Petratos 10, Borrello 72)
@ Thebarton Oval
