Bobo denied goal on return as Roar blunts star-studded Sky Blues

The influx of star power seemed to give Sydney the difference in attack that Corica was after, but they ultimately couldn’t capitalise.

Socceroo Rhyan Grant, sporting a fresh buzz cut, hit the crossbar twice in the space of three minutes from point-blank range in the second half. Days earlier, he’d joked that he feared shaving off his mullet for charity could have consequences for his form, much like the biblical warrior Samson, who lost his powers when he cut his hair.

Bobo, 36, hadn’t played on Australian soil in nearly three years and looked a little rusty but would have finished with a goal on his second debut for the club were it not for Young’s brilliant, instinctive intervention.

“I think you saw when he came on there was more balls coming into the box, more in the air than we normally do because that’s his strength. He’s dangerous,” Corica said.

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“That’s his first game in quite a while so I’m pleased with what he did. He’s always in good areas to score goals and he looks to shoot as well.

“It’s just unfortunate we didn’t get the three points. I’m a little bit disappointed – I thought we deserved them. We should have won.”

If it wasn’t Young or the woodwork, it was another desperate act from a Roar defender who got in the way for the Sky Blues, who finished with 17 shots to Brisbane’s 11.

Sydney will be eager to atone for their failure in front of goal and won’t have to wait long to do so, with a grand final rematch against Melbourne City coming up on Tuesday night at AAMI Park – which is why Corica rotated his starting team, dropping Brattan and Retre to the bench.

The Roar had their moments, with imports Jay O’Shea and Macauley Gillesphey both forcing terrific saves out of Sydney’s custodian Andrew Redmayne, while Dylan Wenzel-Halls was a constant menace and the injection of new recruit Golgol Mebrahtu provided some good moments.

“They’re the champions of Australia for a good reason – they’re a good side,” coach Warren Moon said.

“We look at Sydney as the benchmark and the standard-bearers. That was a real good test for us tonight and I felt like we acquitted ourselves really well. There were probably three moments in a short period of time where we rode our luck, but I think they did as well.”

Brisbane has now recorded two consecutive clean sheets – but they’ve also failed to hit the back of the net in three successive matches, having played out another scoreless draw with Newcastle Jets last weekend and, before that, a 2-0 defeat to A-League newcomers Macarthur FC.