Brisbane Roar surged 10 points clear at the top of Australia’s A-League with a 2-1 win over playoff contenders Adelaide United on Sunday.
The Roar capitalised on Wanderers’ tempestuous 3-1 derby defeat to Sydney FC to have the Premier’s Plate for finishing first past the post all but wrapped up with five games left in the regular season.
A fortnight ago the Wanderers trailed Roar by four points, but they are now in a dogfight for a top-two berth, which grants a home semi-final in the playoffs, with four rival clubs.
Albanian striker Besart Berisha scored a double for Brisbane and almost finished with a hat-trick as Reds goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic pulled off a superb save in injury time.
Argentine Jeronimo Neumann picked up a brilliant consolation goal for Adelaide at the other end moments later.
The Wanderers flew to China on Sunday for their mid-week Asian Champions League encounter against Guizhou Renhe also enmeshed in racism slurs from Sydney FC’s former Iraq international Ali Abbas.
Sydney FC’s comeback victory, sparked by a penalty save from goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic, has thrust Frank Farina’s team into fourth place on 31 points, just one win behind their Sydney rivals.
