AFP, Brisbane :
Albania striker Besart Berisha fired Brisbane Roar into the Australian A- League grand final on Sunday with a stunning solo goal against his future club.
The Roar will host their third championship decider in four seasons at Suncorp Stadium-this time against Western Sydney Wanderers-thanks to Berisha’s heroics that lifted his side to a 1-0 semi-final win against Melbourne Victory.
Berisha netted the match-winner in the 58th minute after Matt McKay unleashed the Albanian marksman on a 35 metre run, as he showed why Melbourne made him their marquee man for the next two seasons.
Brushing off a defender and firing past goalkeeper Nathan Coe at the near post, Berisha set the stage for a perfect farewell in next weekend’s A-League decider.
“It was definitely a strange feeling but I have a job to do for two more games,” Berisha told Fox Sports.
“I will always do my best for my club right down to the last second of my contract.”
Melbourne almost forced the game into extra-time with two goal-line scrambles in stoppage time.
Following a superb save by Roar keeper Michael Theo, skipper Mark Milligan was brought down by Roar counterpart Matt Smith to howls of protest. But he was not awarded a penalty, although replays showed he should have been.
“I thought there was contact, maybe it was unsighted,” Milligan said. “It wasn’t one that sometimes you get, sometimes you don’t.”
From the ensuing corner, Archie Thompson flicked the ball only for McKay to head the ball off the goal-line.
Western Sydney Wanderers reached their second consecutive grand final with a 2-0 victory over defending champions Central Coast Mariners in Sydney on Saturday.
Goals from European imports Youssouf Hersi and Iacopo La Rocca ended the Mariners’ title defence.
It capped a successful week for Tony Popovic’s Wanderers, after they booked their spot in the knockout phase of their first AFC Champions League campaign with a 5-0 victory over Guizhou Renhe on Wednesday.
