Besart Berisha sees red as Melbourne Victory beat Brisbane

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:49 am

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Melbourne Victory clung on to beat Brisbane Roar 3-2 in a stormy A-League encounter that featured a controversial red card to Besart Berisha.

A James Troisi-inspired Victory stormed to a 3-0 lead within half-an-hour but nearly threw their lead away before half-time, conceding twice before the break.

Troisi scored the opener, set up Marco Rojas' second and played in Berisha who netted the third from the penalty spot.

The Roar replied through a Dimitri Petratos stunner and a James Donachie own-goal, but couldn't find a third despite playing with a one-man advantage for 30 minutes.

Berisha was dismissed for a high arm on Luke DeVere, although contact appeared to be minimal in an incident reminiscent of Jade North's alleged dive against Melbourne City last month at the same ground.

The red card sent the partisan crowd into a frenzy, loudly booing DeVere's every touch and with a bottle thrown onto the pitch.

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Incredibly though, after the helter-skelter first hour, Victory held on for a sixth-straight win.

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Troisi started Victory's early rampage with an exquisite free kick, curled over the wall and past Michael Theo from just outside the box.

Five minutes later, he conjured Victory's second. Troisi turned away from his marker brilliantly, playing a stunning through-ball around the Roar defence and catching Theo unaware. The Roar goalkeeper was indecisive at the crucial moment, allowing Rojas to run onto the ball and slot home at the near post.

Berisha made it three from the spot shortly after, racing onto Troisi's pass and being brought down brought down by DeVere.

The Roar looked to be playing in second gear but, out of nowhere, Petratos conjured a route back into the match with the contest's best goal.

From a free kick 30 metres out, the 24-year-old unleashed a thunderbolt that screamed into the top right corner, giving Lawrence Thomas no chance.

Victory were flattened by the strike and, soon enough, their three-goal advantage was just one.

Brandon Borrello's tricky ball into the hotspot proved too tricky for ex-Roar defender Donachie to deal with and he put it into his own goal.

It might have been all square at the break too, with Thomas narrowly deflecting a Matt McKay effort wide.

Berisha's dismissal after the break changed the complexion of the game but there would be no sixth goal.

With just 10 men, Troisi hit the post after fine lead-up work by Rojas and Fahid Ben Khalfallah, while Thomas denied McKay with Brisbane's best chance to equalise.