Australia's Queensland Roar through to A-League football preliminary final

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Brisbane, Queensland — Queensland Roar in Australia has advanced through to the 2008-9 A-League Preliminary Final, after defeating the Central Coast Mariners in their 2-leg Semi Final. Queensland will now travel to Adelaide for the Preliminary Final. In a top four finals series, which the A-League uses, the Preliminary Final is a final played between the qualifying Semi Final (1st vs. 2nd) and the winner of the elimination Semi Final (3rd vs. 4th) for the remaining spot in the Grand Final.

13 February 2009 19:30 UTC+10
	Queensland Roar	2 – 1	Central Coast Mariners	Suncorp Stadium Attendance: 23,705 Referee: Peter Green
		Report		Suncorp Stadium Attendance: 23,705 Referee: Peter Green

Footage from the match

Queensland lead one goal to zero after a back and forth first half. The Mariners pressed early keeping Queensland to their own half in the first three minutes. Queensland created a number of opportunities down the other end to no avail. The Queenslanders missed from a corner and were unlucky to have an offside decision go against them. Michael Zullo fired off a shot from close range only for it to be saved.

The Mariners fired right back. They secured a free kick 20 metres out from goal. The kick went was saved and resulted in a corner. Queensland cleared the ball from their penalty area. The Mariners jumped on a number of Queensland mistakes, taking three shots on goal in the space of two minutes.

Frank Farina describes how the Roar played

Queensland then applied pressure down the Mariners end resulting in a goal to Mitchell Nichols. This goal was Nichols third in three games and fifth for the season.

The two teams then trade shots at goal with neither team scoring. Mariners midfielder Nigel Boogard was booked by referee Peter Green on 38 minutes. Paul O'Grady was booked on fort five minutes.

At half time, the Mariners substituted Andrew Clark with Sasho Patrovski.

Not dissimilar to the start of the first half, the second began with Queensland pushing forward. The pressure, however did not last as long as the Mariners did in the first half. Queensland reneged the Mariners pressure, resulting in a goal in the forty ninth minute to Matthew McKay.

The Mariners hit back with a late consolation goal to Nik Mrdja in the sixty fifth minute. Two Mariners players were booked in the space of about five minutes nearing the end of the game. Dean Heffernan on eighty minutes and John Hutchinson on eighty five.

Queensland won the game two goals to one and the semi final four goals to one.

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