Brisbane Roar 1-2 Adelaide United | A-League match report
Jeronimo Neumann (right) celebrates his opening goal for Adelaide United. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP Image
Adelaide United’s decision to recall Jordan Elsey from a loan deal in Hong Kong paid instant dividends as the teenager’s injury-time goal secured the Reds a dramatic 2-1 win over Brisbane on Saturday.
The 19-year-old, who was on the verge of sealing a season-long move to Kitchee FC in Hong Kong on Boxing Day in a bid for more game time, came off the bench at Suncorp Stadium to nod home a 91st minute winner against the league leaders.
The strike was Elsey’s first in just his third A-League appearance and capped a remarkable game where the understrength Reds stunned Brisbane with a dominant first half before appearing to be forced to settle for a point when the Roar equalised late in the second.
The Reds’ personnel dramas, with several players suspended, injured or away with the Australian under-22 side, was a key reason behind Elsey’s recall with coach Josep Gombau admitting it had been a rollercoaster time for the youngster.
“He went there, everything was OK, he was happy, the club was happy but last week for us was horrible,” Gombau said. “We had a lot of injuries and also, on Saturday, Antony Golec – one central defender we think if something happened can replace any injury – asked for permission to leave the club on go to China.
“Jordan was very happy there but accepted the decision because he’s our player and he came on Sunday, on Monday started training and today he scores the goal. This is life, it’s like this.”
Adelaide had appeared set to be forced to settle for a point after Roar striker Besart Berisha, himself a second-half substitute, scored an 80th minute equaliser for the home team.
Down to 10 men following Diogo Ferreira’s first-half dismissal for a second bookable offence, the Roar had struggled to match an enthusiastic Adelaide in the opening stanza.
With Socceroos defender Ivan Franjic a late withdrawal due to a stomach
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