League leaders Brisbane Roar have extended their unbeaten run to 14 matches with a 5-1 win over Central Coast Mariners this afternoon. The Roar tore the Mariners apart in the first half, skipping away to a three-goal lead by the 25-minute mark thanks to a double from Jean Carlos Solorzano and one from Mitch Nichols before they got two more late in the piece after Adam Kwasnik have Central Coast some hope five minutes after the break.
The A-League record of going 14 matches without a loss allowed the Roar to go six points clear of second-placed Adelaide United as the Mariners stayed fourth.
A-League Week 15Central Coast Mariners: 1 (Adam Kwasnik 50') Brisbane Roar: 5 (Jean Carlos Solorzano 8'/10', Mitch Nichols 24', Reinaldo 87', Alex Wilkinson (og) 89')
Venue: Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford Crowd: approx. 5,000 Referee: Ryan Shepheard Yellow cards:CCM - Daniel McBreen 54'/90+2', Alex Wilkinson 74' BR - Michael Theoklitos 50', Ivan Franjic 61', Thomas Broich 64' Red card:CCM - Daniel McBreen 90+2'
GOAL The Roar grabbed an early lead when right-back Ivan Franjic made one of his customary runs into the box before cutting back for Mitch Nichols whose shot was well-saved by Mariners keeper Matt Ryan but Jean Carlos Solorzano, who cannot stop scoring at the moment, knocked in the rebound in the 8th minute for his fifth in five games.
GOAL Less than two minutes later, Solorzano grabbed his second when he finished superbly from the edge of the area after Thomas Broich exploited the Central Coast defence with a sublime run before teeing it up for the on-fire Costa Rican.
GOAL The Roar didn't let the rain affect them as it began to fall as they surged further ahead with a goal to Nichols in the 24th minute. Kosta Barbarouses received the ball from Nichols on the right flank, took on his defender, before picking out the talented youngster in the area who finished emphatically to make it 3-0.
The Mariners needed to produce something before the game was completely out of their grasp but they failed to do so prior to the half-time whistle.
GOAL But straight after the break the Mariners hit back when Adam Kwasnik, who replaced Matt Simon at half-time, received a long ball from Alex Wilkinson before he took it into the area, turned Roar defender Luke DeVere before placing it past Michael Theoklitos to make it 3-1 in the 50th minute.
Graham Arnold must have had some stern words for his Central Coast players at half-time as they came out with purpose in the second term and looked liked they could grab a second although Brisbane were not exactly sitting back and waiting for things to happen.
Roar substitute Reinaldo was inches away from a fourth for his side with just over fifteen minutes remaining but GOAL late in the piece he got that goal when Broich cut in from the left and saw his shot deflect off the keeper and into the path of the Brazilian who made the simplest of tap-ins.
GOAL And it only got worse for the Mariners when skipper Wilkinson knocked in an own goal to make it 5-1 in the final minute of regular time.
Starting Line-Ups
CCM Matthew Ryan (gk), Joshua Rose, Patrick Zwaanswijk, John Hutchinson, Rostyn Griffiths, Oliver Bozanic, Michael McGlinchey, Trent Sainsbury (Doig 90'), Alex Wilkinson, Matt Simon (Kwasnik 46'), Mustafa Amini (McBreen 46')
Subs - Paul Henderson (gk), Daniel McBreen (46'), Adam Kwasnik (46'), Chris Doig (90')
BR Michael Theoklitos (gk), Matthew Smith, Luke DeVere, Ivan Franjic, Erik Paartalu, Kosta Barbarouses, Jean Carlos Solorzano (Reinaldo 63'), Matt McKay, Mitch Nichols (Murdocca 72'), Thomas Broich (Mundy 90'), Milan Susak
Subs - Andrew Redmayne (gk), Reinaldo (63'), Massimo Murdocca (72'), Matt Mundy (90')
